The Jasper & Danielle Trilogy
by Carrot Top
Summary: When Danielle Clark moved to Forks, Washington, she didn't really know what to expect. One thing was certain though - she hadn't planned on meeting Jasper Hale, and she certainly hadn't planned on her life being turned completely upside down. Originally posted nearly a decade ago, now being revised and reposted for your viewing pleasure! - PART 1 COMPLETE. PART 2 NOW IN PROGRESS -
1. PART ONE - Prologue

**Hello, lovely readers! And welcome!**

 **Now, buckle your seatbelts everyone, because this is going to be a lengthy message from me, followed, eventually, by the prologue. I apologize in advance for the long author's note, but trust me, this needs to be said.**

 **Many, many years ago, I wrote a Jasper/OC centric trilogy for the Twilight fandom. The stories were called _'When Nothing Crumbles'_ , _'The Breaking Bough_ ', and _'Days of Eternity'_. It was my first serious venture into the world of fanfiction, meaning these were the first stories I actually put real effort into. But, since I was still fairly new to the game, my writing skill wasn't very strong. Regardless, the trilogy had a nice little following, which made me happy. **

**Fast forward to two years ago. I had long since finished writing the trilogy, I had moved on from the Twilight fandom, and was busy working on several different stories. I felt more comfortable with my writing and had turned into a bit of a perfectionist. And by bit, I mean a _major_ perfectionist. I still enjoyed the general plot of the trilogy, but anytime I went back to read the trilogy, it would leave me cringing. There were so many mistakes that could have been avoided if I had edited before posting, but back then I was so eager to get chapters out that I didn't bother to fine tune. There were a lot of things about the stories that really bugged me, and the more time went on, the more it bothered me. ****Eventually I started to wonder if I should continue to leave the stories up or not. I almost felt _embarrassed_ having them up for the public to read knowing how mistake-ridden and hastily put together the stories were. But I didn't really have the motivation to fix them up either, because I was already working on so many other projects. I went back and forth about it for a while, until I finally came to a decision. **

**I deleted the stories.**

 **Now, when I did this I truly, honestly believed that nobody would notice their absence. Because it had been so long since I had written the stories and because so much time had passed since I had completed them, I really didn't think anyone was reading them anymore and didn't think anyone would care if they were gone. Apparently I was wrong, because for the next several months my inbox was flooded with messages asking where the stories had gone and asking if I could repost them, mistakes and all. Needless to say, it didn't take long for me to realize I had made a mistake in taking the stories down.**

 **As much as I wanted to repost the stories, the fact of the matter was that I no longer had any copies of my original work. I had written the stories on my previous laptop, which crashed several years ago, and I hadn't thought it necessary to download any of the work before I took it off the website. I was stuck. I couldn't repost the stories because I didn't have them anymore, and though people asked if I could simply rewrite them, I knew there was no way I'd be able to remember what I had written the first time around, nor would I even have the time to rewrite three stories from scratch. There was nothing I could do. They were gone, and that was that.**

 **But then, a few months ago, something changed. A fellow member on the website by the name of Fine Mournings reached out to me and said that she had read my previous notice about not having the stories anymore, and how people were upset that the stories were gone. She then told me that she had actually saved copies of the stories to keep for her own personal use, and that she would be happy to share them with me if I wanted to repost them. I was hesitant at first, simply because I knew myself and knew I'd have to fix them before I posted anything. But after taking some time to think about it, I finally took the plunge and asked her to send them to me.**

 **Here we are now. I've got my original work and I'm going through and revising every single bit of this story. I don't know if people will remember the stories, I don't know if people will even still _care_. But I'm doing it anyway, because it feels like the right thing to do. ****So for those new to Jasper & Danielle, welcome! To those who were along for the ride the first time around, welcome back! Working on this story again has made me realize that I still have a serious softspot for it, and I hope you guys will feel the same. I'm going to end this ridiculously long rant now. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's!**

 **P.S. This story is not necessarily in the book universe, nor the movie universe. It's going to be a combination of the two. Also, in this story Jasper and Alice do not have a romantic relationship. Just a heads up!**

* * *

 **Part One  
** When Nothing Crumbles

* * *

 _Prologue_

 _January_

It was official. Danielle Clark hated moving.

The entire process – having to sort through all of her belongings, having to pack everything she owned, having to clean every inch of the home she was leaving – was nothing but one giant headache. But you know what was worse than moving? Having to move across the _country,_ which was exactly what she and her mother, Lynne, were currently in the process of doing.

Danielle sighed and shifted around in the passenger seat of her mother's car. They were in the last stretch of their drive from Houston, Texas to Forks, Washington, which was somewhat of a relief. She was sick of being on the road, and by now her butt was so numb from sitting for so long that she wasn't confident she even _had_ a butt anymore. Sighing again, she glanced at her mother, who seemed oblivious to Danielle's moodiness as she concentrated on the road. Frowning grumpily, Danielle turned her eyes back to the window, watching as the green, wet, overcast landscape jumped past the window.

To be honest, she wasn't really sure what her mother had been thinking when she had accepted the job offer that had resulted in them moving to this place.

Their life in Houston hadn't been perfect, but it certainly hadn't been _horrible_ , either. Her parents were divorced and she hadn't seen her father since she had been a little girl, so it had just been the two of them. They'd lived in a small house in a suburb outside of Houston, and though it wasn't the _nicest_ place anyone had ever seen, it had been _home_. But for her mother, being a single parent wasn't easy. She had worked herself to the bone at a number of different jobs over the years, most of which she had absolutely hated, all so she could try to provide Danielle with a good life. Money had been tight more often than not, and though Lynne never discussed it with Danielle, she knew there had been a time or two where her mother had had to dig them out of serious financial troubles.

She could recall hearing her mother express the desire to go somewhere different and start anew at least a hundred times in her life. Over the years, Lynne had grown weary of being in Houston, where she could never seem to find a job she truly loved and where she could never seem to find true, stable footing in life. It didn't help that her love-life in Houston had been total crap, too. She had dated a handful of guys over the years, none of which had ever really gotten too serious simply because all of the guys her mother ended up with always turned out to be complete jerks. After all she had been through, Danielle didn't blame her mother for wanting to start somewhere fresh, to go somewhere where nobody knew them and try to begin a fresh chapter of their lives.

But though she understood her mother's desires on some level, Danielle had never thought she would actually go _through_ with the urge to move.

Boy, how _wrong_ she had been. Because here they were, moving to some tiny town hundreds upon hundreds of miles away from home right smack in the middle of her senior year of high school. A town, mind you, that Danielle had never even _heard_ of until Lynne had told her it would be their new place of residence.

She still couldn't say she was completely sure _how_ her mother had heard about the bookstore in Forks she had agreed to take ownership of, the very same bookstore that had been the catalyst for this move – she thought Lynne had heard through a friend that a cousin's mother-in-law was looking to retire and sell the shop, or some equaly confusing line of relation like that. Her mother, seeing the opportunity to move somewhere new and, for the first time her life, be her _own_ boss, had reached out to the woman and, after a few days of going back and forth, they finally came to an agreement.

When Lynne had finally broken the news, Danielle had not been happy. The thought of moving across country and having to finish her high school career in an entirely knew place sounded positively awful. She tried to talk her out of it, had begged for her to wait to move until she had finished high school so that she could graduate with her friends, but it had been in vain. Lynne had already accepted the job _and_ secured a new house for them to live in, as well as sold off their previous house in Texas. There would be no putting off the move – it was happening whether Danielle wanted it to or not.

So they had left the warmth and sunshine of Houston for the cold, rainy, and gloomy town of Forks. And with each mile that brought them closer to their new home, the dread in Danielle's stomach grew stronger and stronger.

She'd have to start all over. At a time where she was supposed to be looking forward to embarking on the next stage of her life with her friends by her side, she was moving to a strange new place where she wouldn't know anyone or any _thing_. She'd be going to a new school, where she'd have to make new friends and embrace a new life. The problem was that she didn't _want_ a new life. She'd liked her old one just fine, thank you very much.

"This could be a really wonderful experience for us, sweetheart," her mother suddenly spoke up in a reassuring tone. Perhaps she hadn't been as oblivious to Danielle's mood as she had thought. "In a town like this you're bound to make friends pretty quick," Lynne added.

"Or I'll get stared at like I'm some freak who ran away from the circus," Danielle countered, her voice dripping with cynicism.

Lynne shook her head and sighed. "You could try to be a little more enthusiastic."

Danielle felt her annoyance spike at those words, but tried very hard not to show it. "I had to leave practically everything I've ever known and loved back home, and in my senior year of high school no less," she reminded her with forced calmness. "This isn't as easy for me as it is for you, Mom."

"It wasn't easy for me either," Lynne rebutted. "I've lived in Texas almost all my life. You aren't the only one who had to make sacrifices, Dani," Lynne reminded her. "I'm the odd person out here, too."

Danielle stared at her for a moment, then closed her eyes and nodded. She wasn't in the mood for an argument, especially when said argument wouldn't make a difference anyway. "You're right," she said simply, before leaning her forehead against the cool window.

But as their conversation ceased and they car continued ever onward, she couldn't help but think her mother was getting the better end of the deal here. This was what Lynne had wanted, right? To go someplace new and start over? Well, she had gotten her wish, and Danielle was pretty sure Lynne wouldn't have a hard time adjusting to their new life. She was going to start working at the bookshop and all the adults in town would love her and it would be all rainbows and sunshine for her. But for Danielle, who was going to have to try to find a way to it in and make friends with her schoolmates, she didn't think it was going to be so easy. In a small town like Forks, everyone knew each other and everyone was friends. They didn't normally take kindly to outsiders, which is exactly what Danielle was. An outsider. An _outcast_.

This was going to be an absolute nightmare.

* * *

At some point Danielle dozed off, finding herself lulled to sleep by the steady hum of the car engine and the soft music floating through their car speakers. When she finally woke again, the car was stopped and her mother was gently shaking her shoulder.

"We're here," Lynne announced. There was a note of excitement in her voice that was impossible to miss.

Lynne exited the car, and after rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Danielle did the same. While her mother went to the trunk to start unloading the bags of personal effects that they had brought with them, Danielle took a moment to stand in the driveway and observe their new neighborhood.

It was nicer than she had expected it would be. In her mind, she had imagined that the houses in small towns like this would look old and rundown, but that wasn't the case here. Sure, the houses weren't brand new, but they looked well-kept and actually quite cozy. The yards were huge, too, and the houses were more spaced out, which was a big difference from their neighborhood back in Houston, where the houses had practically been on top of each other. Danielle shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket, shivering against the cold wind that whipped around her, and eyed a group of kids playing basketball down the street. She then looked up at her new home, which was a brick, two story house that had leafy vines slowly growing along the outside walls. It was bigger than their house in Texas.

When Lynne walked past her and carried a few bags up to the front door, Danielle finally went to the trunk to grab a few bags containing her clothes. She then followed her mother inside, her eyes full of curiosity as she finally stepped into the house and was able to get a good look at everything for the first time. She immediately felt comforted by the familiar site of their furniture, which had been packed into a truck and moved up a week prior to their arrival.

"What do you think?" Lynne asked expectantly, watching as Danielle took everything in.

"It's…nice," Danielle admitted.

Lynne seemed pleased with her approval. "I thought so, too," she said, setting down the bags she'd carried inside. "It's a pretty quiet neighborhood, which should be a nice change," she said, referring to the fact that their old neighborhood had usually been the complete opposite. "I didn't get much of a chance to meet many of the neighbors while I was here helping the movers set up last weekend, but there _is_ a nice fellow across the street who was kind enough to come and introduce himself. He's the chief of police around here, and he has a daughter about your age, too," she added with raised brows. "And, like you, she just moved here. So maybe you're not so alone after all."

Danielle just nodded in understanding. She had not missed the tone in her mother's voice, the one that was not so subtly hinting that she thought Danielle should be friends with this girl. She could admit that she did kind of like the thought of having a neighbor her age to befriend, but, then again, who was to say they'd even get along? The majority of Danielle's friends back home had been guys simply because teenage girls were catty and dramatic, and Danielle didn't have the time or patience for nonsense like that. If this girl was anything like the girls she had gone to school with back in Texas, Danielle wasn't even going to waste her time.

Her mother headed back outside after that to fetch the rest of the bags from the car. Danielle left her to it and went upstairs so she could haul her clothes to her bedroom. Her room was the first door on the right, and as soon as she saw her bed, already made and with her favorite quilt on top of it, she sighed with relief. Dropping her bags carelessly onto the floor, she went straight for the bed and flopped onto it, her face burying into the pillow. After a moment or two she rolled onto her back and fished out the flip phone that had been in her back pocket. The urge to call her best friend, Tom Fitzpatrick, hit her swiftly, but when she remembered how much of her complaining he'd had to endure before she had left, she thought maybe it would be better to leave him be for now. She sent him a quick text to let him know that she had finally arrived in Forks safe and sound, and left it at that.

"Here's the last of your things," Lynne said as she appeared in the doorway of Danielle's room. She dropped a bag down onto the ground to rest with the ones Danielle had deposited there minutes ago, then gave her a pointed look. "Unpack these bags tonight, please," she commanded. "Tomorrow's your first say of school. You don't want to be late just because you had to go searching for clothes."

Lynne left after that, claiming she was going to figure out dinner. Danielle pinched the bridge of her nose and heaved once she was alone. Was a little relaxation time too much to ask? Apparently so.

The ringing of her cell phone made her drop her hand from her face. She quickly checked to see who was calling, then smile. "Hey, Tommy Pickles," she said as she answered the phone, referring to him by one of her favorite nicknames for him. Apparently he wanted to talk anyway, despite the mass amount of griping she had done before leaving Texas.

"Hey yourself, Dani-lani-ding-dong," he responded.

Danielle cringed. "You _know_ I hate that nickname," she said sourly.

"Which is why I keep saying it," Tom countered without missing a beat.

Danielle just laughed and shook her head. "Jerk," she accused good-naturedly.

"Takes one to know one," he retorted smartly.

Danielle sighed, feeling a pang in her heart in response to their friendly banter. She had known Tom since they had been just kids. They had grown up together and done damn near _everything_ together - they had learned to read, ride bikes, play sports, drive cars. He had been her constant companion over the years, someone she trusted and relied on and cared very much about. He was more than just a friend - he was the brother she had never had. And to be so far away from him now, to know that she wouldn't see his smiling, friendly, familiar face on a daily basis anymore downright sucked.

"So, how's the new town?" Tom asked conversationally, though she thought she could detect a hint of sadness in his tone.

"Small. Cold. Green," she said dully. "It's not Houston, that's for sure," she told him with a small frown.

"You'll get used to it," Tom said reassuringly.

"Yeah, I guess," she agreed without much enthusiasm.

"What have you been doing so far?" Tom asked next.

"I was about to start unpacking, but then you called," she told him.

"Unpacking already after being in a car for so long?" Tom asked incredulously. "Why don't you wait until tomorrow?"

"I've got school tomorrow," she reminded him.

" _What?_ " Tom said, sounded a little outraged. "But it's the middle of the week and you only just got there! Why not just wait until next week to go?"

Danielle sat up in bed and picked at a loose string hanging off the quilt. "Mom said I could wait until next week if I wanted, but I mean...why put it off? Most of the furniture and stuff is already set up, so there isn't much to do around the house. I'll be bored as hell sitting around while Mom goes to work. I might as well just start school and get it over with," she explained.

Tom huffed. "Well, I think you're crazy. If it were me, I would've enjoyed a few days off," he said matter-of-factly.

"I think you're just crazy _period_ ," Danielle accused jokingly.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Tom said with a laugh. "Normal people are boring."

Danielle laughed.

"Dani?" Lynne's voice called to her from the first floor. "You're unpacking your clothes, right?" she called next, though the tone she used hinted that she wasn't really _asking_ as so much _telling_ her that she had better be doing as she had been told.

"Yes, Mom!" Danielle called back. Sighing, she turned her attention back to Tom. "Look, I've gotta start unpacking my clothes before my mom comes up here and gives me an earful."

"Alright," Tom said, sounding disappointed. "I miss you already, you weirdo," he then said, his tone obviously sad now.

Danielle smiled sadly. "I miss you too, you goof," she said back. "It's gonna be weird, going to a school that you're not at," she admitted.

"Trust me, I know how you feel," Tom said in return. "Tell all those north-westerners that they better treat you right, otherwise I'm gonna come up there and open up a can of whoop-ass," he added threateningly.

Danielle laughed again. "Will do," she assured him. "Thanks for calling. It was good to hear your voice," she said fondly.

"No problem," Tom said, and she could practically hear the smile in his words. "Good luck at school tomorrow. Just be yourself and everyone will like you just fine," he told her.

"I'll try," Danielle promised. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Alright. Bye."

Danielle finally pulled the phone from her ear and clicked a button to end the call, her heart feeling a bit heavier as she thought about her friend, who she already missed to the point of almost feeling sick. After a moment or two she finally set her phone aside, forced herself to move past her sadness, then got up to do as her mother had said, knowing Lynne would just continue to hassle her until all of her things were put away.

Danielle turned on the radio that had been set up in her room and started unpacking, hanging her clothes up in her closet and rearranging her belongings to her liking. By the time she had finished, the sun had disappeared and the pizza her mother had decided to order for dinner had arrived. She went downstairs to eat, feeling a little less moody once she had some food in her belly. After dinner she chatted with her mom for a bit, then, when Lynne said she was going to get to work unpacking her own things, Danielle cleaned up their dishes from dinner before heading back upstairs.

After days of being in the car and an entire afternoon of unpacking, it felt good to take a nice, hot shower. Her spirits brightened even more once she was squeaky clean and toasty from the hot water…but the moment she stepped out of her steam-filled bathroom, her spirits dropped again. The house was freezing, no doubt due to the fact that it also freezing outside. Shivering a bit in spite of the pajama pants and long sleeve shirt she wore, Danielle stomped over to the window just to double check that it was closed. Once she was satisfied that there was no way for the cold, traitorous, Washington air to sneak into her room, she glanced out into the street before starting to turn away from the window. Danielle paused, however, when something caught her attention.

Her gaze was on the house across the street, the one that had an old, red truck parked in front of it. It wasn't the truck that had caught her attention, though, nor the house itself. Her eyes were instead peering at a window on the second floor. The curtains were pulled back and she could clearly see the figure of a teenage girl. And currently, that teenage girl was staring right back at Danielle.

The girl seemed to jump a bit when she realized she'd been caught spying, which made Danielle smirk with amusement. Danielle paused, then raised a hand and waved, figuring she might as well do something to acknowledge her. The girl hesitated, then awkwardly waved back. She disappeared from the window after that, and when a few seconds ticked by without a reappearance, Danielle finally closed the curtains over her own window.

She spent the rest of the night in her room, alternating between texting with a few random friends wanting to check in on her and reading one of her books. Eventually her mother, showered and looking exhausted, came upstairs to say goodnight. Once her mother closed the door and retreated back downstairs, Danielle realized how tired she was herself. Thinking it best to get a good night of sleep before her first day at her new school, she closed her book, clicked off the light and got settled in bed.

Just as she rolled onto her side and got comfortable, the rain started. Danielle looked to the window, listening to the roll of thunder and watching lighting flash behind the curtains. She then rolled her eyes and put a pillow over her head, hoping it would be enough to muffle the sounds outside. She'd experienced her fair share of thunderstorms back in Houston, but here in Forks, Washington, rain was as common as oxygen. As she thought about all of the nights of thunderstorms she was likely going to endure for the foreseeable future, she had to heave.

This was definitely going to take some getting used to.

* * *

 **Ah, it's just like old times! Please review! I'd love to know what you guys think!**


	2. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter One_

Danielle wasn't normally one to overthink the way she dressed or looked on a day to day basis, but when it came time to get dressed for school the next morning, she found herself putting a little more effort into her appearance. After taming her shoulder length, copper colored curls and putting on just a bit of lip gloss and mascara, she dove into her closet and proceeded to practically pull out everything she had hung up the night before in an attempt to find the right outfit to wear for her first day at her new school. After contemplating a number of different choices, she finally decided to wear her favorite green sweater and her most comfortable pair of jeans. She then slipped on a pair of sneakers, grabbed her phone and backpack, and headed downstairs.

Danielle soon discovered that Lynne had already gone to inspect the bookshop, which was a little disappointing. She had thought her mother would at least be around to see her off to school. Sighing and deciding it wasn't the end of the world, she went to the fridge to look for something to have for breakfast, only to discover a note hanging on the fridge door.

 _Dani –_

 _Have a wonderful first day! I can't wait to hear all about your new school! Also, Bella has very kindly offered to give you a ride to school. Be nice, she seems like a nice girl._

 _Love, Mom xoxo_

Danielle set the note off to the side when she finished reading it. She could only assume this Bella person was the girl across the street, and while it was nice of her to give her a ride – even though Danielle _highly_ suspected it hadn't been her idea to do so – she wasn't necessarily looking forward to being cooped up in a truck with someone she didn't know. She tried to think of a way to get out of it, but when she remembered that she, one, didn't have a car, and, two, didn't know where the school was, she realized she didn't really have any other choice. It was either go to school with Bella, or not show up for her first day of classes. And seeing as the latter of the two options would likely result in her getting grounded, she decided that probably wasn't the one she should pick.

Danielle opened the fridge to search for something to have for breakfast, only to soon be reminded of the fact that they didn't have any groceries in the house yet. The only items in the fridge were bottled water, a few cokes, and the leftover pizza from the night before. Shrugging, she grabbed a slice and started eating, not even bothering to heat it up.

Just as she finished eating, a timid knock sounded from the front door. Danielle wiped her hands, grabbed her backpack, then checked herself in the hallway mirror to make sure she didn't have any food in her teeth. After deeming herself presentable, she went to the front door and pulled it open.

The girl standing on the porch was shorter than Danielle by a few inches, had long dark hair, brown eyes, and was both pale and rather skinny. Danielle's very first impression of her was that she was a pretty girl, but as the girl shifted nervously from side to side and gave a small, awkward smile, it was clear that she was uncomfortable with the situation at hand. Danielle didn't blame her. She wasn't feeling all that comfortable either.

"You must be Bella," Danielle said to break the silence, plastering on a friendly smile.

"I am," the girl confirmed.

Danielle stuck a hand out. "I'm Danielle," she introduced.

Bella quickly moved to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too," Danielle said with a nod. When they released each other's hands, Danielle joined Bella on the porch, turning back for just a moment to lock the front door. "Thank you for taking me to school. I know it's kinda weird seeing as we don't know each other. I hope I'm not a burden," Danielle said as she faced her neighbor again.

"None at all," Bella assured her quickly. "I've actually been looking forward to meeting you," she then admitted, which made Danielle's brows raise. Bella blushed a bit, then quickly explained herself. "It's just…moving to a new town is hard, you know? It's kinda nice, having someone around who's in the same boat as me," she said with a shrug.

Danielle instantly made a sound of understanding. "That's right. You're new to town, too," Danielle said.

"Yeah. I haven't even been here a week," Bella told her.

Danielle was surprised to hear that. "Wow. Guess we _are_ in the same boat, huh?" she asked, laughing a bit. Bella smiled and nodded. "Does the boat happen to come with life jackets?" Danielle then joked, hoping to break the ice a little more.

It was a corny joke and she knew it, but Bella still laughed. "Only two, I think," she joked back.

"We're in luck then," Danielle countered. She shared another smile with Bella, then glanced toward the old, red truck across the street. "Should we get going?"

Bella nodded, and with that they set off across the street, walking side by side. "Sorry about last night, by the way," she said after a moment or two. "I wasn't trying to be some creep spying on you through your window or anything," she added with a blush.

"It's fine. No harm done," Danielle assured her said with a smile.

Bella smiled back, looking relieved. "I like your accent," she complimented.

Danielle cringed a bit. "I don't sound _too_ country, right?" she asked uncertainly. Though she herself had never really thought she had much of an accent – not compared to other people she knew back home, anyway – anytime she met someone who wasn't from Texas, they always commented on her southern twang. It normally didn't make her self-conscious, but she was dreading her new school enough as it was – she didn't want her mild, Texan drawl to serve as ammunition for anyone looking to make fun of her.

"No, not really. You can just tell you're not from around here," Bella quickly reassured, which made Danielle breathe easier. "If anything, it gives you character."

"Good," she said in relief.

As they reached the old, red truck, Bella set her backpack in the bed and then went around to the driver's side. Danielle followed her suit, dropping her backpack into the bed of the truck, then went to the passenger side door. It let out a loud _CREAK_ as she pulled it open, then did so again when she made herself comfortable and pulled it shut behind her. Danielle started to put on her seatbelt but jumped with surprise when the engine came to life with a loud roar. She glanced at Bella, who smiled sheepishly.

"The, uh…engine still needs a bit of work," Bella offered with a shrug, sounding a bit embarrassed.

Danielle smiled and held up a hand. "Hey, I'm not one to judge. At least you _have_ something to drive."

Bella just smiled, her previous embarrassment quickly fading away.

Soon enough, they had pulled away from Bella's house and were en route to school. At first they drove in silence, but eventually Danielle felt the need to break the ice a little more.

"So how old are you?" she asked, watching the town of Forks rush past her window for a second or two before looking over at Bella.

"Seventeen," she answered. "You?"

"Eighteen."

"Oh," Bella said, a brief look of disappointment flashing across her face. "So you're a senior?" Danielle nodded in confirmation. "Guess that means we won't have any classes together," Bella commented with a sigh, which led Danielle to believe that Bella was a grade below her.

"You're a junior, then?" Bella nodded. Danielle made a thoughtful sound, then shrugged. "Well, you never know. Maybe we _will_ have a class together," she said optimistically. And she actually _did_ hope they would. Bella was officially the only person she knew in Forks, other than her mother. It would be nice to see a friendly face in some of her classes.

"Maybe," Bella echoed, though she sounded like she didn't want to get her hopes up.

They made small talk the rest of the way. Danielle discovered that Bella had moved to Forks because her mother had recently gotten married to a man who played minor league baseball. He moved around frequently because of that, but due to Bella still being in school, her mother normally couldn't go with him, as she needed to stay home to take care of Bella. So, in the end, Bella had decided to move to Forks and live with her father, so her mother would have the freedom to travel with her new husband.

"That's gotta be hard, though, being away from your mom?" Danielle asked.

Bella sighed and shrugged, her eyes never turning away from the road. "It's not great," she admitted. "But it is what it is."

Danielle nodded.

"What about you?" Bella asked. "Do you guys have family here?"

"No. None," Danielle answered.

Bella seemed a little confused. "Why come here then?"

Danielle pursed her lips. "It's kind of a long story," she said. "To summarize, though, my mom has been looking for a fresh start in a new place for a long time. And as luck would have it, an opportunity finally presented itself here. Now, voila. Here we are. Forks' newest residents," she finished with a wry smile.

Bella nodded in understanding. "It kinda sucks, though, moving in your senior year. Doesn't it?" she asked.

Danielle sighed. "Yeah. It does," she answered truthfully.

She turned her eyes to the window after that, no longer feeling in the mood to discuss this particular topic of conversation. Thankfully Bella seemed to understand what Danielle was trying to silently convey, because she did not say anything else on the matter.

When they finally reached Forks High, they pulled into the parking lot and parked in the first space they found. The lot was crowded with cars already, and there were many students loitering around, just talking and laughing with each other as they waited for class to start. Danielle did not miss the fact that several students in the near vicinity stared at Bella's truck as they parked, nor did she miss the way some of those students began talking to each other and pointing when they noticed her sitting in the passenger seat.

"Is this how it was for you?" Danielle asked, feeling her self-consciousness return with a vengeance as a group of teenagers hanging out by a car a few spaces away stared at her like she was a museum exhibit.

" _Was?_ It still _is_ like this," Bella corrected with a huff, a knowing look in her eyes.

Danielle sighed. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised," she commented.

"Nope," Bella quipped. She then shook her head as she eyed the students around them. "Two newbies in one week? They won't even know what to do with themselves. But hey," she added with a tiny smirk. "Now that you're here, maybe I'll get a break from all the staring."

Danielle just snorted. "You're welcome?" she offered with a quirked brow.

Bella just smiled. "Ready to face them?" she asked, jerking her head toward the school.

Danielle heaved. "As ready as I'll ever be," she said with slight resignation.

"Let's go, then," Bella encouraged.

They climbed out of the truck at the same time and headed for the bed to collect their backpacks. Now that she had left the protection of Bella's truck, Danielle felt vulnerable and exposed, especially so when a group of guys strode past and gave her blatant once-overs, before grinning and nudging each other. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear, trying to ignore them, then slung her bag onto her back and began walking up to the school with Bella.

The school didn't really look all that big, which didn't really surprise her considering the size of the town. As they walked toward the front doors the crowds seemed to part for them, and as Danielle made eye contact with a few of her new peers, she smiled shyly. A few smiled back – most just whispered to their friends behind their hands.

Once inside, Bella led her toward what looked like a bunch of offices to the left. "This is the front office. You should go there first," she said. "Do you want me to wait?" she then offered, tilting her head a bit. "You might need a tour guide for this _humongous_ school," Bella added jokingly, shifting the bag on her shoulder.

"Thanks, but I think I can figure it out," she said reassuringly. "I'll see you later?"

Bella nodded. "See ya."

Bella headed off after that. Danielle stood there for a moment and watched her go, until the shorter girl eventually disappeared from sight. Though she hadn't really known what to expect when her mother had told her about the girl living across the street, she decided in that moment that she liked Bella. She was pretty easy to talk to, and they seemed to get along well. She just might very well be Danielle's first friend here in Forks.

Whispering behind Danielle snapped her out of her thoughts. Glancing around, she realized that several nearby students were giving her looks and very obviously talking about her. With a blush, Danielle turned toward the front office and hurried inside, eager to get away from the staring.

She was greeted by a woman who instantly knew who she was, which didn't surprise Danielle much. With the exception of herself and Bella, it wasn't likely the school got new students very often – of course the people working in the front office would know she was coming.

Danielle waited in the front office for a few minutes before one of the school counselors came to collect her. From there she was shown into a separate office, where she received basic information about the school and it's policies. After listening to the counselor talk for another ten or so minutes, she was finally given three papers. One was a map of the school, another had her class schedule, locker number, and locker combination, while the last was a note to her teachers explaining who she was. She was then instructed to have all of her teachers sign the note and bring it back at the end of the day, and though she wasn't really sure why that was necessary, Danielle agreed to do so. From there she was told good luck, then finally sent on her way.

Danielle hung out outside the office for a few minutes so she could look over her class schedule. She had Calculus first, which made her groan with dread. Math was her worst subject, and having it first thing in the morning sounded like torture. After Calculus was English, followed by History, then Spanish. Next on her schedule was her lunch break, then Physics, and, finally, Gym.

Danielle found her first class on the map, then headed that way. Luckily it was on the first floor, and since the school was considerably smaller than her previous one, it didn't take long to find the classroom. She walked in just before the bell rang, then instantly froze upon realizing that every single eye in the room was on her. Clearing her throat nervously, Danielle crossed the room and walked up to her teacher, who was looking at her with interest as she extended the note from the counselor in his direction.

"Ah, yes," he mused aloud as his eyes skimmed the note. "I was told you would be starting today. Danielle Clark, is it?"

"Yes, sir," Danielle quickly confirmed, trying to diligently ignore the way her classmates were watching her.

The teacher nodded, then grabbed a pen and quickly signed the note. "Welcome to Forks, Miss Clark," he said, handing the note back over. "Here's a text book," he said next, fetching a spare book and passing it to her. "And there's a seat right back there with your name on it," he finished with a friendly enough smile.

"Thanks," she said with a quick, embarrassed smile.

Clutching her new book to her chest, Danielle turned around to face the class. She blushed as she began making her way through the rows of desks, her sights set on the empty one toward the back of the room. As she walked, she glanced around at her classmates, who were all watching her pass by with varying expressions of interest and curiosity.

She was almost to her seat when her gaze suddenly landed on a guy sitting two rows over. As their gazes locked, Danielle froze in place, her stomach doing a quick somersault.

In an instant, she knew that he was, without a doubt, the most attractive person she'd ever seen in her entire life. He had honey blonde hair, a straight nose, high cheekbones, a strong jaw line, and a dimple in his chin that Danielle instantly liked. He also looked like he would be quite tall if he were to stand up. It was his eyes, however, that _really_ caught her attention.

At first she thought they were just dark, but then she realized they were more than just dark. They were _black_. And the intensity with which he stared back at her quickly made her forget how good looking he was and instead made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. There was no curiosity or interest on his face as he watched her. No, there was something different in his gaze. Something she couldn't put her finger on. Something that made her feel very uneasy.

"Miss Clark?" the teacher asked, making her jump as she was pulled back to reality.

She finally realized that she had just been standing there, staring at the guy like an idiot for all the class to see. She blushed fiercely and finally tore her gaze from his, not even wanting to think how weird she must look to her classmates.

"Sorry," she said, before rushing to her seat in the back. More than a few students giggled.

Once she was in her seat, the teacher took his place at the front of class and launched into his lesson for the day. For the most part, Danielle did her best to pay attention and keep up with the lesson. However, she couldn't stop her eyes from sliding over to the blonde haired guy sitting two rows over every few minutes or so. She also couldn't help but notice that he kept shooting not-so-discreet looks at her over his shoulder, his eyes still filled with that same intensity from before.

Danielle would be lying if she said he wasn't making her nervous. She had been stared at plenty since she'd arrived at school and had a feeling the staring would continue for several days to come. But the way he was looking at her was a little…unsettling. Why was he _looking_ at her like that? And how were his eyes so dark? They couldn't _really_ be black, could they? That wasn't even possible, not without contacts or something. But then their eyes met again, and even if she was trying to convince herself otherwise, there was no denying that his eyes were _definitely_ black, something only _she_ seemed to have noticed.

When the bell eventually rang to signal the end of the class period, Danielle watched as the blonde haired guy practically jumped out of his seat and hurried for the door, beating everyone as he was the first to leave. Once he was out of sight, she released the breath she had been holding and began to pack her things into her bag. She was relieved to have made it through her first class, but was even more relieved to get away from the blonde haired guy. She didn't know how much more of that intense, hawk-like staring she could take.

After another quick look at her map, she headed on toward her next class, ignoring the students in the hallways as they talked and horsed around between classes, but still keeping a wary eye out for the guy from her last class. Finally, when she reached her next class, she stepped inside and took a quick look around. When she spotted a tell-tale head of blonde hair sitting on the far side of the room, she felt her breath catch in her throat.

He was there. They had another class together.

His eyes seemed to widen a bit when he realized she was there, then he scowled and looked away, before closing his eyes. He seemed almost _angry_ about the fact that she was there, though Danielle didn't understand why. What had she done? Why was he behaving like this?

Feeling confused and uncomfortable and, admittedly, a little _scared_ all at the same time, she hurried to the teacher to give him the same note she'd given her last teacher. He took it with a nod, then murmured for her to find a seat. Danielle quickly picked the one furthest away from the blonde. It wasn't long before she felt eyes on her back, however, and when she chanced a look over her shoulder, she was not surprised to see him staring at her again, his eyes dark and unblinking.

Danielle paid close attention to her teacher as he began the lesson for the day, hoping if she focused extra hard that it would make it easier to ignore the blonde staring holes into her shirt. The end of the period couldn't come fast enough, and when the bell _finally_ rang, it was Danielle who bolted for the door this time. She packed up her things lightening fast and practically ran for the door, still very aware that she was being watched, but refusing to look at him again. She didn't know what his deal was, but something in her gut was telling her to stay away from him.

Danielle hurried out into the hallway, which was steadily filling up as students filed out of their classes. She only made it a few steps, though, when she remembered that her last teacher hadn't returned the note from the counselor after he signed it at the beginning of class. Cursing under her breath, she turned back around to go back into the class and collect the note. Just as she turned, however, she ran right into what felt like a brick wall.

She had run into _him_ , the blonde. And the only reason she hadn't fallen right on her butt was because he had his hands wrapped around her biceps. Two very _strong_ hands, holding her in a grip that she already knew would prevent her from going anywhere if she tried to leave. Danielle looked up into his black eyes, her heart suddenly pounding against her ribs. He _was_ on the tall side, tall enough that she had to tilt her chin up to meet his gaze. There was no mistaking the look on his face now. He looked predatory, vicious, _dangerous_. Danielle's breathing picked up and she tried to pull away from him, but he only tightened his grip even more and pulled her closer. Even though she was wearing a long sleeved shirt, she could feel how icy cold his hands were.

Danielle began to feel a growing sense of panic. Something inside was telling her that something was wrong, that something about this entire situation was _dangerous_. She tried to pull away again, but he was just too strong. She stood no chance.

"Please. Let me go. You're hurting me," she said, her tone almost pleading.

His jaw clenched and his fingers tightened, but something in his expression shifted. Some of the harshness left, replaced by something that looked a lot like pain. He seemed like he was fighting some internal battle, though what that battle was exactly, Danielle didn't know.

Suddenly someone very tall and very large appeared behind the blonde currently holding her in a vice grip. He dropped a heavy hand on the blonde's shoulder, which made the blonde blink as though coming out of a trance. He finally released her, and as soon as she was free, Danielle took a giant step backward and rubbed her arms, her lips pulling downward into a frown of fear.

The humongous guy who had just arrived looked at Danielle for a second. He had dark hair and amber colored eyes, was built like a brick house, and was easy on the eyes. Though he seemed to know that something was amiss, he currently seemed cool as a cucumber…on the outside, at least.

He looked away from Danielle without saying a word to her. "Let's go, Jasper," he said, before using the hold that he had on the blonde to turn him around and guide him away. She watched them go until they were out of sight, then sighed heavily and moved to the nearest wall to lean against it.

She honestly couldn't say that she knew what had just happened. She had always prided herself as being someone who was friendly and easy to get along with. It was rare that she had any disagreements with anyone, purely because conflict was something she tried very hard to avoid.

So why had this Jasper guy behaved that way? Why had he seemed so angry with her? Danielle had not spoken to him in either of their classes, nor had she gone anywhere near him. What could she have _possibly_ she done to provoke that sort of reaction? And why had be seemed like he'd wanted to… _hurt_ her? Danielle rubbed her arm again and looked in the general direction that Jasper and the other guy, whom she assumed was his friend, had gone. She didn't know what the hell this Jasper guy's problem was, but she knew it would probably be best to steer clear of him if possible.

She just hoped now that they wouldn't have anymore classes together.

* * *

After taking a moment to collect herself, she finally went back into the classroom to collect the counselor's note before continuing on to her next class. But between what had happened with the guy named Jasper, having to go back into her previous class, _and_ having to find her next class on the map, she wasn't able to beat the tardy bell this time around. The bell dinged overhead before she could reach the door, which meant that her entrance into the classroom garnered her twice as much attention. Flushing with embarrassment, she let her eyes quickly sweep over the crowd. Jasper wasn't there, which made her very happy to see. But as her eyes landed on a large, dark haired guy sitting in the back of the class, she realized with a sinking feeling that his friend was.

"You wouldn't happen to be Miss Clark, would you?" asked the teacher, effectively pulling her attention away from Jasper's friend.

Danielle looked at her teacher, then forced on a smile. "I am," she confirmed. She then went up to the teacher to give her the counselors note. "Sorry I'm late. I'm still trying to figure out where everything is," she added with an apologetic look.

"I understand," the teacher said, before quickly scribbling her signature on the note and handing it back. "But for future reference, know that I do not tolerate tardiness in my classroom," she warned with raised brows. "Once you've become familiar with the school, which shouldn't take long at all," she made sure to emphasize, "I will expect you to be on time."

"Yes, ma'am," Danielle said with a quick nod.

The teacher smiled a bit, then motioned toward the desks. "Go ahead and have a seat, Miss Clark."

Danielle nodded again, then turned to search for an open seat. As luck would have it, the only vacant desk was the one next to Jasper's friend. After a brief moment of hesitation, she went to sit at the desk on his left, doing her best to avoid making eye contact. She thanked her teacher when she came to drop off a spare text book, then quickly opened it up to the designated page as the lesson began. She could feel someone watching her though, and when she finally chanced a look in his direction, she was not surprised to see that it was Jasper's friend staring.

"Hey," he said quietly, keeping his voice down so as not to disturb the teacher.

Danielle just glanced at him, then looked back at her text book. He wasn't deterred by her response, though. Instead, he glanced at the teacher, who was writing on the chalk board, before discreetly moving his desk a few inches closer. How someone so big could move so quietly, Danielle didn't know, but the teacher remained none the wiser.

"Look. I'd like to apologize for my brother's actions," he said just as quietly, his expression remorseful, but also a bit wary.

 _That_ certainly caught her attention. Danielle looked at him in surprise, shocked to discover that this guy was Jasper's brother simply because they looked _nothing_ alike. "He's your _brother_?" she hissed.

"Yeah. And whatever happened back there, that's _not_ him. He's a good guy, I swear. He can just be a little… _moody_ …sometimes," he said with a helpless shrug.

Danielle raised her brows at him in disbelief. " _Moody?_ " she echoed. Suddenly she felt her anger spike. Jasper had grabbed her, had looked like he had wanted to _hurt_ her. And now here was his brother trying to downplay it like they'd just had a simple misunderstanding? "Your brother was out of line," she hissed. "I don't know what his problem is, but whatever _that_ was, that was more than just being a little _moody._ That was something else. And to be honest, he scared the _crap_ out of me."

He winced at those words. "You're right. He was out of line," he agreed. "He's normally a friendly guy, I promise," he then added, still trying to vouch for his brother. "He was just having an off day today." Danielle just shot him a look, which made him sigh. "I'm sorry he scared you, but you don't have anything to worry about here. Nothing like that is ever going to happen again, you have my word," he told her seriously.

Danielle wasn't sure why, but she found her anger beginning to fade and felt herself wanting to believe what he was telling her. There was no deception in his eyes or in his tone. He seemed genuinely sorry for the way his brother had behaved and seemed like he was trying very hard to make up for it. Danielle pursed her lips, then finally sighed. "Alright, I'll take your word for it…for _now_ ," she added sharply.

He just smiled in return, looking a bit relieved. He then extended a large hand in her direction. "I'm Emmett, by the way. Emmett Cullen."

Danielle looked at his outstretched hand before slipping her hand into his. Like Jasper, his hand was ice cold. It was also twice as big as hers. "Danielle Clark," she responded.

Emmett seemed like he was going to say something else, but before he could, a voice at the front of the room caught their attention. "Mr. Cullen! Miss Clark!" Both of them started a bit and looked to the teacher, who had finally noticed they weren't paying attention and was not looking thrilled about it. "As glad as I am to see the two of you getting along," she said with a hint of sarcasm, "do you mind saving your oh-so-important conversation until _after_ class is finished?"

"Yes ma'am," they said in almost perfect unison.

The teacher gave them one last look, then turned back to the board to resume writing. Danielle looked at Emmett, who rolled his eyes dramatically before directing his attention back to the teacher. Danielle couldn't help but smirk with slight amusement.

When class was over, Danielle fully expected Emmett to just continue on his way without saying another word to her. But, to her surprise, he didn't do that. Instead, he waited for her to pack her things, then followed her out of the classroom.

"Where's your next class?" he asked curiously.

Danielle pulled her schedule from her pocket to look it over. "Mrs. Vega, Spanish," she answered.

"Oh, I had her last year," Emmett said with a nod. "I'll show you where her class is," he then said, before nodding for her to follow him down the hall.

Danielle wasn't sure she should go with him at first. After that strange interaction with Jasper, she didn't think hanging out with his _brother_ was a good idea. But when Emmett stopped and gave her an expectant look, she finally gave in and followed him. As they fell into step with each other and made their way through the crowd of students, she noticed that a number of students watch them pass by with obvious surprise.

"So, you're from Texas?" Emmett asked conversationally.

"Yeah. How did you know?" Danielle countered, craning her neck a bit so she could look up at him.

"I know someone from Texas," he answered with a casual shrug, his eyes scanning the crowds before turning down to her. "I'd recognize that southern twang anywhere," he joked with a friendly smile. "Plus, this school isn't very big and word gets around pretty fast. I'm sure everyone at Forks High knows where you're from by now."

"I see," Danielle said with a nod of understanding.

Silence passed between them for a few moments as they continued along. Danielle wouldn't necessarily consider herself a _shy_ person per se, but considering what had happened with Emmett's brother, it felt a bit awkward to be in Emmett's company now. She couldn't really think of what to say to him, nor was she entirely sure she knew why he had wanted to walk with her. _Probably_ _just being extra nice to make up for Jasper being a total jerk,_ she thought to herself.

"You don't have to walk me to class, you know," she finally said.

"I know," Emmett said. "But I also know what it feels like to be the new kid on the block. Figured it'd be nice to extend a friendly hand rather than sit back and stare like everyone _else_ is doing," he explained, motioning to the staring students around them.

His words caught Danielle's attention. "Your family hasn't always lived here?" she asked.

Emmett shook his head. "No. We've only been here a few years, actually," he then revealed. "We moved here when my father got a job at the local hospital."

"I see." Danielle watched a couple of kids hurry to move out of their way. Their eyes were trained on Emmett, however, not on her. They seemed afraid of him. "So when does it get better?" she asked. "The staring, I mean," she added when Emmett gave her a confused look, as if he wasn't sure what she was asking about. "How long until people act _normal_ around me?"

"Eh, give it a week or two," he said with a shrug. "Eventually they'll get bored with you."

"They don't seem bored with _you_ , though," Danielle said pointedly when she noticed a couple of girls openly ogling Emmett.

Emmett pursed his lips at that. "Us Cullen's are a different story," he admitted, frowning a bit now. "You would think the hype around us would've died down after two years of being here, but nope."

"Why?" Danielle asked.

Emmett suddenly grinned down at her, his amber colored eyes flickering with amusement. "Because we're so good looking, of course," he said simply, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.

Danielle snorted at that and shook her head, unable to help smiling in amusement. She supposed Emmett wasn't _wrong_ , though. She had no idea how many Cullen's there were, but the two she had met were certainly not unfortunate looking. Emmett might've been a big, burly giant, but as she took a good look at him, she decided he was definitely cute, even if he wasn't exactly her type. And even though her encounter with Jasper had been less than pleasant, there was absolutely no denying that he was drop dead gorgeous. If that was how _they_ looked, she could imagine what the rest of the family had to look like.

Finally, they came to a halt outside of Danielle's next class. As students filed inside, she and Emmett received numerous, odd looks.

"Here you go. Mrs. Vega's class," Emmett announced.

Danielle nodded, then smiled a bit. "Thanks for the escort."

"No problem," Emmett said. "And I know I already said it, but…I'm sorry about what happened between you and Jasper," he added with an apologetic look. "He's honestly a good guy. You just…caught him at a bad time."

Danielle quirked a brow. "It's not _you_ who should be apologizing," she pointed out. "He was the one acting like a jerk, not you."

"And he _will_ apologize the first chance he gets," Emmett assured her with a nod. "I'll make sure of it."

Danielle eyed him for a moment, then nodded. "I need to get to class now," she said. "Thanks again for showing me the way."

"You're welcome," Emmett said. "I'll catch you later, Danielle."

He walked away after that, the crowds parting again to make way for his massive frame. Once she couldn't see him any longer, she finally turned and headed into her class.

* * *

It was enormous relief when she stepped into class and caught sight of a familiar face. Bella was sitting in the second row, third desk back, and when their eyes met, she instantly looked just as relieved to see Danielle there. After smiling and waving, Danielle hurried to the teacher to get her note signed and collect a textbook. She then went to sit in the desk on Bella's right, which she had been saving just for her.

"Man, is it good to see you!" she said, feeling the tension that had been in her muscles ever since her run in with Jasper dissipate some.

"Same," Bella said with a smile. "How has your day gone so far?" she then asked with curiosity.

For a moment, all Danielle could see in her mind was Jasper's handsome face and his dark, angry eyes. She thought about telling Bella what had happened, but then changed her mind. Now didn't seem like the time or the place to discuss it. "It's been…interesting," she finally said with a shrug.

"I bet," Bella said with a nod. She seemed none-the-wiser that anything was amiss with Danielle. "What does the rest of your day look like?"

"I have lunch next, then Physics, then gym," Danielle told her.

Bella grinned. "Looks like we'll see even more of each other. I have lunch next too, and gym at the end of the day."

Danielle smiled as well, happy to hear that she had some classes with her new neighbor. "Awesome."

They might have talked more, but in the next moment, the teacher got up in front of the class and started talking. They ceased their conversation after that to pay attention, and only spoke to each other again when they paired together to work on a quick exercise about halfway through the period.

"I'm starving," Danielle commented when class was finally finished and they were on their way to the cafeteria. "All I had for breakfast was cold pizza, and it's ain't doin' much for me right now."

"At least you _had_ breakfast," Bella replied. "I woke up late and had to skip. I feel like I could eat everything in the cafeteria."

When they reached the cafeteria, they got in line for food and made small talk with each other. People were staring at them, of course, but Danielle hardly noticed. Considering how much she'd been stared at that day, she felt like she was starting to get used to it.

As they slowly moved up the line, she let her eyes roam the cafeteria, which was full of students talking and laughing loudly with one another. When her eyes landed on a table near the exit, she felt her hear skip a beat, then begin to hammer against her ribs. She had spotted Emmett and Jasper, as well as two other girls that she could only assume were Cullen's as well, judging by their appearance. Emmett and the girls seemed to be in the middle of an intense discussion, but Jasper wasn't paying attention to them. He sat stiffly in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest, and even though there were several yards of space and dozens of students between them, it as obvious his attention was focused solely on _her_.

Danielle blushed and gulped, knowing she should probably turn her gaze elsewhere, but unable to pull her eyes from his regardless. It seemed that two class periods worth of time hadn't quite been enough for him to get over whatever was going on with him – he didn't look _as_ frightening as he had earlier, but he certainly didn't look friendly or approachable either. Danielle wouldn't have gone near him even if someone had paid her to.

A nudge to her side finally brought her back to the present. She blinked and looked at Bella, who was watching her with mild concern. "You okay?"

Danielle cleared her throat, then nodded jerkily. "Er…yeah. Fine," she answered quickly. Bella didn't look like she believed her. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you look like you've just seen a ghost," Bella pointed out.

She glanced in the general direction that Danielle had been looking, as if searching for the source of her distraction. Danielle unconsciously looked at the table the Cullen's were sitting at, and though Jasper was still very much staring at her, he wasn't the only one. Emmett was looking too, and upon realizing she was looking their way, he plastered on a friendly smile and raised a giant hand to wave at her. He stopped when the beautiful blonde girl sitting next to him, whom she figured was likely his sister, delivered a firm whack to his side.

Bella raised her brows at Danielle. "Was he waving at _you_?" she asked.

"Yeah," Danielle confirmed. "I have a class with him. I have a few with Jasper, too," she added.

Bella looked back at the Cullen's, her expression unreadable. Danielle looked at them, too, her eyes almost feeling magnetized to them – or, more specifically, to Jasper. Jasper was still a statue, but his three siblings kept glancing in her direction. The other girl, who had short dark hair and a friendly face, was eyeing Danielle with curiosity. The blonde girl, however, was looking at her like she was a dangerous bug that needed to be squashed.

"What do you know about them?" Danielle asked Bella as they finally reached the front of the line and began to fill two trays with food.

"Only stuff I've heard around school," Bella said. "They're all adopted, and their dad is a doctor. They've been here a few years, but nobody is really friends with them. I guess they don't really like other people or something," she explained, her brows furrowing a bit as she glanced at the Cullen's again.

Danielle nodded in understanding. She couldn't speak for the other three, but Jasper certainly seemed like he didn't like other people. If he went around treating everyone the way he'd treated her, it really wasn't a surprise that he didn't have friends at school.

"What do you think of them?" Bella asked curiously.

"Emmett seemed nice," she said truthfully. Then she snorted and shot a look at the handsome blonde still watching her every move. "Can't say the same thing for Jasper, though," she blurted out before she could stop herself. "He seems like a jerk."

She frowned in the next moment, because if she wasn't mistaken, Jasper tensed and sat straighter the moment she said those words. But _certainly_ he hadn't been able to hear her calling her a jerk all the way from _here._ She was too far away, and the cafeteria was way too loud. _Maybe he has really good eyesight and is good at reading lips_ , she justified in her head.

Bella looked at her with a frown. "What do you mean?"

Danielle sighed, then shook her head. "It's kind of a weird story. And I'd rather not go into it right now," she admitted quietly, thinking it better not go talk about the scary encounter while there were so many people around to eavesdrop.

Bella seemed like she wanted to pry for a moment, but then eventually nodded her head and let the subject drop. There was a very pensive look on her face, however, that let Danielle know that she was definitely still thinking about everything she'd just been told.

After they paid for their food, Bella told Danielle to follow her and they went to a table full of people that Danielle had not met yet. She was quickly introduced to a friendly looking girl named Angela, a pretty girl named Jessica, an asian guy named Eric, a dark-skinned guy named Tyler, and a blonde haired guy named Mike. As they quickly made space for Danielle and Bella to sit, Danielle made sure to sit so that she _wasn't_ facing Jasper.

"Well, whatever happened between you two," Bella murmured for only Danielle to hear, "Jasper's watching you like a _hawk_."

Danielle felt her face heat up, but kept her eyes forward, refusing to look at him again.

"So, Danielle," the girl named Jessica spoke up, grabbing Danielle's attention. She was happy for the distraction. "How are you liking Forks so far?"

"I haven't seen much of it, to be honest," she answered. "My mom and I just got in yesterday. All I've seen so far is my house and the school," she explained with a shrug.

"Well, I know it may not seem like much at first," spoke up the girl named Angela, "But it's really a nice town," she told her with a nod. "It's quiet and it's safe, and the people are friendly."

" _Most_ of the people, anyway," the one named Mike interjected, before shooting a look in the direction Danielle knew the Cullen's were sitting.

Angela, Jessica, and the other two guys rolled their eyes, as if this was a conversation they'd had a hundred times before. "Admit it, dude. You're just _jealous_ of them," Tyler accused.

Mike scoffed. "What is there to be jealous of?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe their awesome cars? Their awesome clothes? Or maybe you're jealous of the fact that literally _everyone_ in that family is better looking than you will ever be in your entire life?" Eric offered sarcastically.

Mike just snorted at him and shook his head.

Danielle glanced at Bella, who merely spared her a look before taking a big bite of food. Jessica finally seemed to notice her uncertainty and leaned forward. "We're talking about the Cullen family," she revealed. Danielle had to resist the urge to look back the table Jasper and his siblings occupied. Jessica then smirked, her eyes lighting with interest. "But you already _know_ the Cullen's, don't you?"

Danielle frowned, unsure what to make of the girl's tone. "I'm familiar, yeah," she said, before taking a bite of food.

Jessica raised her brows knowingly. "From what _I_ hear, you've gotten pretty friendly with a few of them already," she pushed further. As everyone suddenly peered at her with interest, Danielle felt her cheeks flush a bit. "A girl in my English class said she saw Emmett Cullen walking you to your Spanish class," Jessica revealed to the table. "And _another_ girl said she saw you and Jasper Hale having a moment in the hallway. She said it was… _intense_ looking."

Though hearing Jessica refer to Jasper as Jasper _Hale_ rather than _Cullen_ confused her a bit, she didn't bother asking her to clarify right then. Instead, she felt increasingly uncomfortable with the topic of conversation and found herself actually feeling a bit _annoyed_ with Jessica for bringing it up in the first place. She didn't know if the girl was insinuating anything or not, but she _did_ know that she didn't like this way this conversation was going.

"Emmett was just being friendly and showing me the way to my class," she quickly defended. "And there was no _moment_ between me and Jasper. It was…nothing," she added. Which was a lie, but she definitely wasn't about to reveal the truth of that encounter to people she had only just met.

Jessica didn't seem to be buying it. "Well, I've been around the Cullen's for a while, and let me just say that them being nice to anyone is a _big_ deal. But a word of warning? I wouldn't get too friendly with Emmett if I were you," she suggested. "He and Rosalie? The blonde girl he's sitting next to? They're a _thing_. And I don't think she'd like it very much if she knew you were getting too _close_ to him, if you know what I mean."

Danielle's brows furrowed with uncertainty. "They're together? But…they're family," she stated in confusion.

"Well, yeah, but they're not _blood_ related," Jessica countered.

"Doesn't make it any less weird," Eric piped up between bites of his lunch.

"They're _all_ weird if you ask me," Mike added with a huff.

"Again, you're just jealous," Tyler accused yet again. "Jasper, Emmett, and Edward have all the girls drooling over them and you hate it."

As Mike threw a chunk of food at Tyler, Danielle frowned with slight confusion. "Who's Edward?" she asked curiously. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Bella stiffen a bit.

"He's also one of Dr. and Mrs. Cullen's adoptive kids, and he's a _total_ babe," Jessica told her with a slightly dreamy expression. The guys snorted and rolled their eyes in response. "He hasn't been here since Monday, though. Probably went camping again. The Cullen's tend to do that a lot."

Danielle nodded her understanding, then glanced at Bella, who was suddenly very interested in her food. She thought the shift in Bella's demeanor was a bit strange, but didn't think it would be a good idea to ask questions about it now. Danielle pulled her gaze away from Bella and looked at Jessica, who had shifted her gaze back to the Cullen table. After a moment, she turned a knowing grin on Danielle.

"Are you _sure_ you and Jasper didn't have a moment earlier?" she questioned with a waggle of her brows. "Because he hasn't stopped looking at you since you sat down."

Danielle blushed again and quickly shoveled food into her mouth to avoid having to answer her question. Thankfully, Angela seemed to notice how uncomfortable Jessica was making her feel and decided to come to the rescue.

"Why don't we talk about something else?" she said, giving Jessica a look that clearly said to stop pestering Danielle. After a quick stare down, she turned to Danielle. "Why don't you tell me about Texas, Danielle? I'd love to hear about where you grew up," she encouraged with a smile.

Danielle couldn't help feeling grateful to Angela for finally steering the subject away from the Cullen family. She was glad to focus her attention on Angela and they spent the rest of lunch in easy, comfortable conversation. By the time their lunch period was coming to an end, Danielle had already decided that she liked Angela. She was friendly and nice and seemed to have a good head on her shoulders. In fact, she liked everyone Bella had introduced her too…for the most part. Jessica seemed friendly enough, but she also seemed like she was a gossipy one, which Danielle wasn't a big fan of. She told herself she would be nice to the girl, but she certainly would be careful as to what she said around her.

As a bell dinged overhead to signal that it was time to go to their next class, Danielle, Bella, and the rest of the table all left their seats and went to throw their trash away. As she trailed behind the others, Danielle braved a look back at the Cullen table and saw that Jasper had already disappeared from the cafeteria. Emmett and the other two Cullen's were still there, however, and were looking back and forth between her and what she assumed was the direction Jasper had gone. Danielle quickly faced forward again and continued on her way without another look backward.

* * *

Danielle's next class was a piece of cake, and that was due in large part to the fact that there wasn't a single Cullen present. Breathing easier and feeling like she could finally relax, she eased into a desk in the front row and settled in for the lesson, her previous thoughts of Jasper and his family finally fading to the back of her mind as she scribbled notes in her notebook.

After Physics she headed to gym, where she met up with Bella again. Because it was her first day, the gym teacher decided to give Danielle a free pass and let her sit out. Bella, however, had no choice but to participate. As Danielle sat on the sidelines and watched the dark haired girl attempt to play volleyball with the rest of the class, she soon discovered that Bella had zero athletic ability. Bella was about as graceful as a newborn giraffe, and as she stumbled all over the place and accidently sent the ball sailing toward numerous people's heads, Danielle stifled her laughter behind her hand, not wanting to laugh out loud and possibly offend her new friend.

When the final bell rang to signal the end of the school day, Danielle lingered outside the locker rooms while she waited for Bella to finish changing. When Bella finally joined her out in the hall, the girl looked positively mortified.

"God, that was humiliating," Bella said, shaking her head with despair.

Danielle suppressed a grin, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Actually, from what I saw, you were the best one out there," she said, her tone obviously teasing. "I think you should consider going pro," she then added with a smirk.

"Ha _ha,_ " Bella said sarcastically. "You're so funny."

"I like to think so," Danielle joked without missing a beat.

Bella just snorted and shook her head, a smile of amusement tugging at her lips.

They made a brief stop at their lockers to grab the things they'd need for homework that night, headed to the counselor's office so Danielle could drop off the note she'd gotten signed by all her teachers, then finally made their way to the parking lot. Danielle kept her eyes peeled for any sign of the Cullens as they crossed the parking lot, but, to her relief, there was no sign of them anywhere. It seemed like they had already left.

Danielle let out a long sigh when she was finally seated within the safety of Bella's loud, red truck. "One day down, a hundred something more to go," she said, letting her head drop back against the headrest.

Bella smiled with what looked like sympathy. "But who's counting, right?" she said, raising her brows.

Danielle just gave her a small smile in return.

The drive home was pretty quiet. They made small talk at first, then eventually fell silent and chose to listen to music instead. At some point, when they were stopped at a red light, Danielle felt Bella's eyes on her. She glanced over and saw that her new friend was staring at her with furrowed brows, giving Danielle the distinct impression that she had something she was contemplating saying. Bella didn't voice whatever was on her mind, though. She merely quickly turned her eyes forward again, her fingers drumming on the steering wheel as she waited for the light to change. When it finally turned green, they continued on.

Soon enough they were parking in front of Bella's house. They both retrieved their backpacks from the bed, then turned to face one another.

"Thanks again for toting me around today," Danielle said with a smile. "I really appreciate it."

"Yeah, no problem," Bella said with a nod. "Same time tomorrow?" she then asked.

Danielle tilted her head with uncertainty. It was a nice offer, but she didn't want Bella to feel obligated to take her to school every day. "You don't have to. I can probably get my mom to drop me off."

Bella waved her words away. "I don't mind. Honestly," she insisted.

Danielle thought about it, then nodded. "Okay. But only if you let me give you gas money," she bartered. Bella looked like she might argue for a second, so Danielle quickly spoke up before she could. "It's nonnegotiable. If I'm gonna take up space in your truck, I'm giving you gas money. And that's that," she said with a note of finality.

Bella sighed, then shrugged. "Alright then," she conceded.

Danielle smiled, shifted the backpack hanging from her shoulder, then turned to leave before Bella could change her mind. "See ya tomorrow," she called over her shoulder.

"See ya," Bella called back.

Danielle jogged up the steps to her porch, located her keys in her backpack, then unlocked the door. As soon as she was inside, she dropped her bag on the ground and went into the living room, where she flopped face down on the couch. She lay there for a few moments, then shifted around so she was laying on her back instead, one arm falling over her eyes to block out the light in the room.

 _What a day_ , she thought to herself, a heavy sigh escaping her nose.

In a way she was relieved, because now the hard part was over. She had gone to her new school and faced her new peers. The staring had sucked, yeah, and there had been plenty of awkward moments, but she knew in time things would get better. Eventually the shock of her arrival would wear off and she wouldn't be a subject of interest anymore, which meant life might actually get back to some semblance of normalcy. It could only get easier from here, right?

But then she started to think about what had happened between her and Jasper, and as she remembered that she would have to face him first thing in the morning, her feelings of relief were quickly overshadowed by an undeniable sense of dread. After the way he had behaved today, she was not looking forward to seeing him again. Emmett had assured her that the incident outside their English class would not be repeated, but what if he was wrong? What if Jasper was in another _mood_ tomorrow? What if he grabbed her again? What if _really_ hurt her this time? What if he had it out for her something?

Danielle frowned, then shook her head. Maybe she was beginning to get too carried away with all this. After all, it wasn't like Jasper was some psycho serial killer or something. Maybe it was just like Emmett had said – she had caught him at a bad time and he had, unfortunately, taken whatever was bothering him out on _her._ She could certainly recall times when she had been stressed out and flown off the handle at people who had nothing to do with the problem simply because they were _there._ It was very possible that was what had happened with Jasper earlier. He had been stressed and she had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Danielle frowned deeper, suddenly feeling confused. Why the hell was she making excuses for him? He had _still_ put his hands on her without permission, and he _had_ hurt her. Plain and simple, that was _not_ okay. No amount of stress or frustration on his part would ever justify that sort of behavior. She might have been too shocked and scared at the time to do anything about it, but she vowed right then and there that if he attempted anything like that again that she would make him pay for it.

The ringing of her cell phone finally drew her from her thoughts. She hopped up from the couch and ran for her backpack, quickly retrieving her phone from the side zipper. It was her mother calling.

"Hey, Mom," she said in greeting.

"Hi, sweetie!" Lynne responded enthusiastically. "How was school?"

Danielle shrugged, even though her mother wasn't there to see it. "It was okay," she answered vaguely.

"How did you and Bella get along?" Lynne asked next.

Danielle smiled now. "I like Bella. She's nice," she said. "We're gonna ride to school together tomorrow, too. I think it might become a permanent thing."

Lynne made a sound of joy. "That's wonderful! I was really hoping you two would become friends. I'm glad to hear that you're getting along." She paused to say something to someone on her and, then turned her attention back to their conversation. "What about the kids at school? Did you meet anyone nice?"

Danielle thought about Emmett Cullen, and about the group that Bella had introduced her to at lunch. "Yeah, I met a few people that seemed cool. The rest just kind of stared at me like I was a science experiment that went horribly wrong," she said with a heave.

"I'm sure that'll stop soon," Lynne reassured her, even as she laughed at Danielle's choice of words.

"I hope so," Danielle said.

Lynne just made a sound of sympathy. "So tell me," she said after a moment, her tone a bit teasing now. "Were there any cute _boys_ that caught your attention?"

The face that instantly flashed through her mind was Jasper's. But when she remembered that she was angry with him, she quickly pushed the image away. "No, there weren't," she lied.

Lynne clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Well, you've only been there a day. I'm sure you'll find _one_ cute one eventually."

"Maybe," Danielle said unenthusiastically. "When are you gonna be home?" she asked to change the subject.

"We've been pretty busy rearranging the store and getting everything in order over here," Lynne said. "I probably won't be home until after seven. But I stopped by the grocery store at lunch time and stocked the kitchen, so there's plenty for you to eat."

"Okay," Danielle said. "I'll make something for us to have for dinner. It'll be waiting for you when you get home."

Lynne made a sound of gratitude. "Thank you, sweetie, I appreciate it."

"No problem," Danielle said with a smile. Her making dinner for her mother was nothing out of the norm. With how many hours Lynne worked, Danielle often took it upon herself to make dinner for the two of them – considering everything Lynne had done for her over the years, come home to a hot, homemade meal after a long day of work seemed like the least Danielle could do for her in return.

There was more muffled conversation on Lynne's end, which told Danielle she was taking to someone in the store again. "I should go now," her mother finally said. "But I'm glad you had a good first day and I'm glad you've made some friends. It'll only get better from here."

Danielle thought about Jasper again, and couldn't help but frown. She wanted to believe her mother was right, but if Jasper continued to be a total jerk to her, she wasn't so sure life at Forks High would be as easy as they both wanted it to be. "I hope so."

"Just think positive," Lynne said. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Mom."

She ended the call, then tapped her phone against her hand. In a way, she felt a little guilty for not telling her mother about the incident with Jasper Hale, simply because she always told her mother _everything,_ be it good or bad. But she knew her mother, and knew she would flip if she found out that someone had hurt her in anyway. It seemed better to keep it under wraps for now. If anything got any worse, _then_ she'd tell Lynne what was going on.

Danielle sighed, shoved her phone into her the pocket of her pants, then grabbed her backpack and headed upstairs to her bedroom. It would be a while yet until she needed to start dinner, and she didn't particularly want to spend the time until then fretting over Jasper, like she had done most of that day. She decided to delve into her homework and hope that it would be enough to keep her thoughts preoccupied. For tonight, she wanted to forget about what had happened at school, forget about the entire Cullen family, and try to have a good night with her mother in their new home.

She'd worry about Jasper Hale tomorrow, when it was time to go to school and face him again.

 **Review!**


	3. Chapter Two

**A guest reviewer asked how the updates for the story would work, since the stories already written. To answer your question, the story is already written but the chapters still need a ton of work. I only just started revising them last week, so I haven't gotten far. Basically what you can expect is that whenever I finish revising a chapter, I'll update. Hopefully I can update frequently, though!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Two_

 _She was running through Forks High school, pushing and elbowing her way through throngs of students, her eyes wide with fear and her breaths coming hard and fast. She looked behind her and saw a flash of golden hair, then let out a cry of fear. Turning forward again, Danielle ran even faster, all but barreling over people now in her haste to escape. Her frightened gaze searched wildly for an exit, every instinct in her body telling her to get out of the school and run to the safety of her house. Her mother would be there to protect her, and Bella's father, the police chief who lived across the street, would surely keep away any harm that might come to her._

 _Her eyes landed on an exit sign. There it was. Her salvation. Determined now, she sprinted for the double doors looming up ahead, feeling relief flood her more and more with each step that brought her closer to her escape._

 _But then…there he was. Jasper. Standing up ahead, planting himself between her and the doors. Danielle skidded to a halt, practically hyperventilating by now, unsure what to do. He was glaring at her and clenching his fists, his whole body tense as he waited for her to make a move. She couldn't go past him – she would never make it. Glancing behind her, she saw that that path wasn't ideal either. There were so many students in the way, none of which seemed to notice her state of panic, none of which seemed to care that Jasper appeared to be hunting her. If she tried to run that way, she'd get caught in the crowd. Then Jasper would catch her._

 _Danielle looked at Jasper again and gulped when she saw him grinding his teeth, his eyes as black as midnight as he watched her every move. Finally, in a moment that derived either from stupidity or desperation – she wasn't sure which – she turned on her heel to run back the way she had come. But before she could even make it two steps, a hand with impossible strength closed around her arm, pulling her to a halt._

 _Danielle cried out, and then the world spun as Jasper whipped her around to face him. She trembled with fear as she met his darkened gaze, feeling as though she could feel every ounce of his loathing washing over her skin. "Please!" she cried, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. "Please don't hurt me!"_

 _Jasper said nothing in response, just scowled even further, his handsome face distorting with pure hatred. Then, with a vicious growl, he picked her up and threw her through the air. Danielle sailed across the hall until she crashed into the locker with a loud BANG. Then she fell to the ground, pain resonating from every inch of her body as she lay whimpering on the floor. And all Jasper did was stare at her, his eyes black, his expression showing no remorse, before he came rushing at her again._

Danielle jerked awake, breathing hard and feeling sweaty as she struggled to focus on her surroundings. It took a few seconds, but she finally remembered that she was at home, not at Forks High. She was in her bed and she was safe, and there was certainly no Jasper Hale around.

With a groan, Danielle rubbed her face, willing her heart to stop pounding so hard. _It was just a dream_ , she told herself. _It wasn't real._

When she finally calmed down, she dropped her hands from her face and stared up at the ceiling, noticing only then that there were some glow in the dark stars stuck to the ceiling, which had obviously been put there by a former inhabitant of this room. Sucking in a deep breath through her nose and releasing it slowly, she finally pushed away the covers and sat up, swinging her legs around so that her feet rested on the floor.

Danielle thought back to the dream she had had, then shook her head. As if fretting about Jasper all day hadn't been bad enough, now she was _dreaming_ about him, too? Even _she_ could admit that this was beginning to get out of hand. Jasper might be rude, maybe even a little _deranged_ , but nothing about that dream was even remotely possible. He was not _hunting_ her, and he certainly wasn't strong enough to throw her like a ragdoll.

Still, whether it was possible or nor, the dream _had_ scared her. Even now, she still felt a prickle of unease in her spine as she thought about the way Jasper had looked. The expression on his face in the dream hadn't been all that different from the way he had looked when he'd grabbed her outside their English class, and as she thought about facing him again in just a few hours and possibly seeing that same, frightening look on her face, she couldn't suppress a small shiver of fear.

 _Get ahold of yourself, Danielle,_ she chastised herself, running a hand through her hair. _It was just a dream. That would never happen in real life._

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Sweetie, are you awake?" Lynne asked through the door. She hadn't gone to work yet, and as silly as it may sound, just knowing her mother was in the house and the she wasn't alone immediately made her feel better.

"Yeah," Danielle called back. "I'm about to start getting ready for school.

"Okay. I'll start getting breakfast together," Lynne responded.

As she heard her mothers footsteps disappear down to the first floor, Danielle firmly pushed thoughts of Jasper aside and stood from her bed so she could start getting ready for school. She went to her attached bathroom so she could brush her teeth and wash her face, then put on just a touch of makeup like she had done the day before. Her curls were wild and frizzy after tossing and turning all night, so she decided against even trying to fight them and quickly put her hair in a messy knot on the top of her head.

Danielle stepped back into her bedroom and went to the closet to find something to wear for the day. Knowing it would be cold outside, she quickly decided on a long sleeved shirt and jeans, then grabbed some boots from the bottom of her closet to top off the ensemble.

She pulled off the shirt she had slept in, then paused and frowned, her eyes turning down to her arms. There were bruises on her skin, dark blue marks that were in the exact places where Jasper's fingertips had dug into her arms the day before. She had noticed them when she had changed for bed the previous night, and just as she had done when she had first spotted then, she cringed as she gently ran a fingertip over the marks on one of her arms. Normally she wasn't one to bruise easy, so the fact that he had left such noticeable marks on her was the proof of just how hard he had been gripping her.

Sighing, Danielle finished changing, feeling better when her long sleeved shirt completely concealed the bruises. She already knew she was going to wear long-sleeved shirts until they had faded some. She didn't want anyone to see the marks, nor did she particularly want to see them herself.

When she finally went downstairs, her mother was waiting for her with a smile and a plate of bacon and eggs. "Morning," Lynne greeted, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Here you go," she then said, passing her the plate.

"Thanks," she said, before taking a seat at the table. "I'm surprised you're still home," she said, watching as her mother went to the fridge to retrieve a carton of orange juice, then poured it into two glasses.

"I felt bad, not being here yesterday to see you off to school," Lynne said as she joined her at the table. She set one of the glasses of orange juice in front of Danielle and kept the other for herself. "I thought I'd go into work just a little bit later so I could be here when you leave. Besides, I'd like to meet Bella," she added. "I'd also like to thank her for taking you to school."

Danielle just nodded her understanding.

"What do you have planned for the weekend?" Lynne asked conversationally as she dug into her own breakfast.

Danielle shrugged. "I hadn't thought about it, to be honest," she admitted. "But I guess it'd be nice to go out and explore a bit. Maybe I'll see if Bella wants to go check out the town or something," she mused aloud.

Lynne smiled approvingly. "I think that's a great idea. If you're gonna live here, you might as well get to know the town, right? And a little bonding time with Bella certainly won't hurt," she said with a nod. "What about Sunday?"

Danielle shrugged again. "Dunno. Why, did you have something in mind?"

"I was thinking maybe you could come help me around the shop," she suggested. "We're short-staffed and there's still a lot of things that need to be done before I have it the way I want it," she explained. "I'd pay you to work, of course," she added with a smile. "You interested?"

Danielle thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Sure, I'll come help," she agreed. "But you don't have to pay me," she told her mother pointedly. "Just agree to let me borrow the car sometime and we're even," she bartered.

Lynne took a moment to consider the offer, then nodded. "Deal," she said, sticking a hand in Danielle's direction so they could shake on it.

Danielle grinned, shook her mother's hand, then went back to her breakfast.

About ten minutes later, just as Danielle and Lynne were finishing up their meals, a knock on the door signaled Bella's arrival. Lynne went to answer the door while Danielle quickly put their now empty plates in the sink. After quickly washing her hands, she went to grab her jacket and her backpack before heading toward the door.

"It really is just so nice of you to take Dani to school," Lynne was saying as Danielle walked up behind her, still in the process of shrugging on her jacket. "It's nice to know we've got some friendly neighbors around here."

Bella blushed and smiled shyly. "It's really no problem. I'm just glad to have someone _normal_ to hang out with," she added with a small laugh.

"Dani? _Normal_?" Lynne asked with a smirk. "Are we still talking about the same girl?" she then joked.

Bella laughed again, while Danielle just rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Mom. You're so sweet," she said with sarcasm. While Lynne laughed and patted her back, Danielle raised her brows at Bella. "Ready to go?"

Bella nodded. "Ready when you are."

Danielle pulled on her backpack and turned to her mother. "Will you be home at the same time tonight?"

"Probably," she said with a nod. "I'll let you know if anything changes, though."

"Okay." Danielle then pulled her mother into a hug, which Lynne happily returned. "I'll see you later."

"Yep, see you later," Lynne said, squeezing her tight. "I love you."

"Love you, too," Danielle said in return.

They parted ways after that and Danielle stepped out onto the porch to join Bella. "It was nice to meet you, Bella," Lynne said to the dark haired girl. "How about you and your father come over for dinner sometime soon?" she then suggested. "We'd love to have the both of you."

"It was nice to meet you, too, Ms. Clark," Bella said politely. "And that sounds nice. I'll be sure to talk to him about it."

"Wonderful," Lynne said, looking pleased. "You girls have a great day at school," she said.

"We'll try," Danielle said with a smirk. "Bye, Mom."

They finally turned and headed across the street toward Bella's truck. Bella glanced back at Lynne, who was watching them go, before smiling at Danielle. "I like your mom," she said. "She seems really nice."

Danielle smiled proudly and nodded. "Yeah, she's one of a kind."

Just like the day before, they both threw their backpacks into the bed of Bella's truck before climbing into the cab. As the engine started with a loud roar, the knowledge that she'd soon be back at Forks High and facing Jasper Hale again made her stomach fill with nervous butterflies. _It'll be okay,_ she told herself encouragingly. _You've got this._

Bella finally put the truck in drive, then, with one last wave to Danielle's mother, they were off.

* * *

When Danielle walked into her Calculus class about twenty minutes later, it was with her head held high and shoulders squared. She was determined not to let Jasper see the way he had affected her, determined to show him that she was no weakling and that someone that he could walk all over, despite the fact that, deep down, she actually _was_ afraid of him. But as her eyes immediately jumped to the seat that Jasper had occupied the day before, she stopped dead in her tracks.

The seat was empty. Jasper wasn't there.

She let out the breath she had been holding, feeling both relieved and a little annoyed at the same time. Part of her was glad he wasn't there so that she didn't have to see or talk to him. The annoyed part of her, however, felt like she deserved one damned good apology from him, and he couldn't very well apologize for acting like a Neanderthal if he wasn't there, now could he?

Her eyes were suddenly drawn to the person sitting next to Jasper's empty desk, and with a start, she realized it was another Cullen. Rosalie was in their class too, only she'd been so distracted by Jasper the day before that she hadn't even noticed. When they locked eyes, the beautiful blonde scowled at Danielle with blatant dislike, not even bothering to attempt to act friendly. Danielle took that as her cue to hurry up and take her seat, and quickly pulled her gaze away from Rosalie's as she scampered to her own desk in the back of the room. She felt Rosalie's eyes on her back the entire away.

Danielle set down and quickly pulled out her book as the bell rang. _Awesome. That's two Cullen's that hate me now,_ she thought to herself when she chanced another look in Rosalie's direction and saw that the blonde was still glaring at her. _Way to go, Danielle. You're off to a great start,_ she added pessimistically.

With Jasper being absent and her fear of seeing him instantly gone, the rest of class was uneventful. After her initial glaring, Rosalie eventually seemed to decide that Danielle wasn't worth her attention and began to ignore her, which Danielle couldn't say she minded. She focused on her school work, firmly ignoring Rosalie's presence, and hung on to very word her teacher said. Before she knew it, the bell was ringing and it was time to go to English.

Her next class was uneventful as well, and passed by pretty quickly. In what seemed like no time at all she was walking into her History class, which she had with Emmett Cullen. As she eased into the chair she'd sat in the day before, she glanced at Emmett's empty desk and frowned a bit, wondering if perhaps he was absent as well. But she soon learned that wasn't the case, because only a few moments later Emmett came striding into the room. He then sat down at his desk, his amber colored eyes flickering to her. He gave her a friendly smile when he noticed her watching him.

"Sup?" he asked with an upward nod of his head.

"Hey," Danielle said back.

She tapped the eraser of her pencil on the desk, her eyes narrowing just the slightest bit as she continued to look at Emmett. She wanted to ask about Jasper and find out why he wasn't at school, but she also didn't want Emmett to run home and tell him that she been asking about him. The last thing she wanted was for Jasper to think she was interested in him…and she supposed on some level she _was_ interested, but not in _that_ way.

"I couldn't help but notice your brother isn't here today," she finally said, unable to stop the words from tumbling past her lips.

Emmett quirked a brow. "Jasper wasn't feeling good this morning," he said evasively, one large, muscled shoulder shrugging upward.

Danielle eyes narrowed further. Emmett was lying, she could tell. "Well, I guess if _I_ was the jerk manhandling complete strangers for absolutely no reason I wouldn't wanna show my face around school, either," she commented.

Emmett gave her a sharp look. "Easy there, tiger," he said with just a hint of warning. "I know you're mad at him, but that's still my _brother_ you're talking about."

Danielle pressed her lips together, then let out a heavy sigh. As mad as she was, it wasn't like her to badmouth people, and especially not to their family members. "Sorry," she apologized, "I just…haven't been able to stop thinking about what happened," she admitted. "I don't understand _why_ it happened, or what I did wrong."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Emmett said quickly. "Like I said yesterday, Jasper was just having a bad day," he repeated.

"And just like yesterday, I don't believe you when you say that," Danielle countered. "The _second_ he laid eyes on me, he looked like he hated me. And when he grabbed me, he honestly looked like he wanted to _hurt_ me," she insisted. "I may not be the smartest person who ever lived, but I _am_ someone who listens to their gut instinct. And yesterday, before you showed up, those instincts were _screaming_ at me that something was seriously wrong. That something was _dangerous_ and that if I didn't get away, something _bad_ was going to happen to me."

Emmett was very quiet after that, neither his gaze, nor his expression, giving away whatever was going on inside his head. Finally he let out a massive sigh, his eyes turning elsewhere for a moment before jumping back to hers.

"Look, Danielle," he said, leaning closer and dropping his voice a bit. "I know you don't believe me, but what happened yesterday was a fluke. Jasper's not just my brother – he's my _friend_. And believe me when I say that _that_ is not what the real Jasper is like," he insisted, his expression serious. "You wanna know the _real_ reason he's not here today?" he then asked, raising his brows.

Danielle nodded eagerly. Emmett finally seemed like he was opening up about Jasper and giving her the _truth_. She was suddenly eager to hear anything he would have to say.

"Because he _hates_ himself for how he treated you yesterday," Emmett revealed. "We talked about it for a long time last night, and he could hardly even stand himself because of the way he acted. He feels horrible, Danielle. I've never seen him so guilty or ashamed," he said, shaking his head. "He didn't come here today because he knew he'd see you, and he just didn't have the guts to face you after what he did. Not yet, anyway."

Danielle felt some of her previous anger slip away. She supposed it was a good thing that he knew he had been wrong and regretted what he had done – at least now she knew he wasn't some unstable psychopath who wanted to do her serious harm. But still…he should have manned-up and come to school today to apologize for what he had done, not hide away from her and let his _brother_ do all the talking for him. "So what is he gonna do then?" Danielle asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Is he just gonna hide from me for the rest of the school year or what?"

"No," Emmett shook his head. "He wants to talk to you so that he can apologize and explain himself. He just didn't have the courage to do it today," he told her. "But he's going to talk to you soon and make this right," Emmett added with a firm nod. "That I can promise you."

Danielle considered what he had said, then slowly nodded her head. "Alright then."

The bell rang after that to signal the start of class, so she and Emmett ceased their conversation and turned their attention to the teacher as she began the lesson for the day. But even as she took notes and followed along in her textbook, Danielle often found her thoughts frequently drifting back to Jasper and the conversation that she and Emmett had had about him. She also found herself frequently wondering where he was, and whether or not he was thinking about _her_ as well.

After class was over, she packed up her things and headed for the door, not overly surprised when she noticed that Emmett had hung back so that he could talk to her again between class periods.

"I'd walk you to your class again, but I've heard some rumors making the rounds after yesterday and I know a few people who wouldn't be happy if they heard we were getting too friendly," he told her, glancing around as though keeping an eye out for someone.

"I'm assuming you're talking about Rosalie, which would explain why she was giving me death glares this morning," Danielle commented, remembering what Jessica had said the day before about the two being a couple. "Tell your girlfriend not to worry. You're not my type," she added with a wry smile.

Emmett quirked a brow, as if he was surprised that she knew he and Rosalie were together. "Wow. Didn't take you very long to start digging up all the dirt on us Cullen's, huh?" he said with a snort.

Danielle blushed. "I wasn't digging up dirt," she said defensively. "You said it yourself – this is a small school and word travels fast," she added.

"Uh huh," Emmett grunted, looking and sounding thoroughly unconvinced. He gave her another look, then shook his head. "Look, I just wanted to say that everything between you and Jasper is going to be okay," he told her, quickly changing the subject. "He's _going_ to make it right, and he's gonna do it soon. Until then, just…don't worry, okay?"

Danielle pursed her lips. "I'll stop worrying when he proves to me he's not someone I _need_ to worry about," she said firmly.

"Fair enough," Emmett said with a shrug. "See ya later, Danielle," he then told her.

"See ya."

Emmett left after that, and, once again, the crowds parted to make way for his huge frame as he went. Danielle watched his retreating back for a moment or two, then finally headed off for her next class

* * *

The rest of the school day turned out to be pretty boring. They had a substitute teacher for Spanish, so they ended up watching a movie instead of doing any work. Danielle spent most of that time talking quietly with Bella, since neither of them were really interested in the movie. Danielle took the opportunity to talk to Bella about her plans for the weekend and see if she wanted to explore Forks with her the next day. She hadn't been sure whether Bella would want to hang out outside of school or not, but was pleasantly surprised when the girl said yes. They agreed to head out around noon and left it at that.

Lunchtime was spent with the same group as the day before, who all had plans to hang out at some nearby diner after school and invited both of them to join – according to Mike, it was tradition for the upperclassmen to go to the diner after school on Fridays to celebrate the end of the school week with food and milkshakes. Bella politely declined, claiming she already had plans - Danielle was pretty sure she lying through her teeth and just didn't want to go. Since Danielle didn't particularly want to get stuck hanging out with a bunch of people she barely knew, she made up an excuse of her own and declined the invitation as well. The group was disappointed at first and did not shy away from vocalizing it, but eventually they dropped it when Danielle and Bella, after sharing a meaningful look, promised they'd join them another time.

Gym was next, and this time the teacher made Danielle participate. Danielle, wearing her long sleeved shirt under her gym shirt so no one would see the bruises on her arms, played volleyball with the rest of the class and it actually went pretty well…that is, until, Bella spiked the ball and it hit her square in the back of the head. Bella apologized profusely, looking mortified as she rushed over to make sure Danielle was okay. After assuring her she was fine and joking that she would just dock off some of the gas money she owed to make up for it, Bella went back into her position and the game resume. Everyone decided to try to keep the ball away from Bella after that, though, and the rest of class passed without any more accidents.

After school, Danielle and Bella climbed into Bella's truck and headed home. They chatted about their plans for the next day, making sure to keep their eyes open as they drove to look for any places that might be interesting to check out. Once they were parking in front of Bella's house again, they climbed out the truck, grab their bags, then said their goodbyes for the day. Danielle spent the rest of the day at home, diligently finishing her homework so that she wouldn't have to worry about it for the rest of the weekend, then cooking dinner again once it was time for her mother to be coming home. After Lynne came home, they had dinner and cleaned the kitchen, then decided to have themselves a little movie night. They picked out their favorite romantic comedies, grabbed some popcorn and ice cream, then settled in the living room to watch their movies. They finally went to bed when they couldn't hold their eyes open anymore.

Danielle slept in the next morning, not waking until it was nearly eleven in the morning. Because she had woken so late, she was not at all surprised by the fact that Lynne had already left for work. She _was_ surprised, however, to find a note with a hundred dollar bill attached to it.

 _Dani –_

 _I know this move hasn't been easy, but I'm glad you seem to be adjusting well so far and that you're making an effort to get to know the place a little better. Here's some money for your outing with Bella today. Spend it on whatever you want – my treat! I'll see you later! Love you!_

 _Love, Mom xoxo_

Danielle grabbed the money with raised brows, then grinned and nodded her head. Her mother was never usually this generous when it came to giving her money to do stuff. This was certainly a pleasant surprise. "Thank you, Mom," she said aloud to herself, before going to her bag to put the money in her wallet.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, Danielle waited until the clock struck noon before heading out to meet with Bella. She stepped outside and locked her door, then turned to look at Bella's house. Upon seeing that the girl wasn't outside yet, Danielle decided to go knock on the door. She headed across the street and walked up the driveway, eyeing the police car that belonged to Bella's father along the way, then finally stepped up to the front door and knocked twice.

The door opened to reveal a tall man with dark hair and a mustache. He had a stern look to him, his brows furrowed together seriously as he gazed at Danielle. He glanced around at her feet for a moment, as if looking to see if she was someone who was coming around to try to sell him something, then raised his eyes back to hers. "Can I help you?" he asked politely enough.

Danielle shifted under his intimidating gaze, understanding very quickly why he had been picked to be the police chief. He looked like he wouldn't have any problems putting criminals in their place. "Hi," she said, clearing her throat. "I'm Danielle Clark. I just moved in across the street?" she said, motioning toward her house.

The expression on his face eased as his eyes lit with recognition. "Oh yeah. Of course. You're Lynne's girl." Danielle nodded in confirmation. "Charlie Swan," he said, offering her a hand as he introduced himself.

Danielle quickly shook his head, trying not to wince when he gripped her hand a little too hard. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Charlie said in response.

When Charlie released her hand, she shoved her hands into her pockets. "Is Bella around? She and I had plans to hang out," she said, glancing behind him into the depths of the house to see if Bella was anywhere nearby. She didn't see her anywhere, though.

"Yeah, she's upstairs. I think she's on the phone with her mother," Charlie said. He stepped to the side and motioned for her to come in. "Why don't you come in and make yourself comfortable in the living room while I grab her?" he suggested.

Danielle nodded. "Sure. Thanks."

She stepped into the Swan house, which looked to be about the same size of her own house. While Charlie headed upstairs, Danielle slowly made her way into the living room, observing the old looking furniture and the few decorations placed sporadically around the room. It was glaringly obvious as she looked around that until Bella had come back around, there hadn't been a female living in this house in quite some time. Everything about the place, from the sports memorabilia scattered here or there to the newspapers and hunting magazines on the coffee table to the lack of anything even _remotely_ feminine, screamed _BACHELOR PAD._

The sound of two pairs of feet coming down the stairs caught Danielle's attention a short while later. She turned and saw Bella first, followed quickly by her father. "Hey," Bella said with a friendly smile. "Sorry about the wait," she apologized. "When my mom gets to talking, it's hard to get her to stop."

"No worries," Danielle said with a shake of her head. "You ready to go?" she then asked.

"Yep." Bella turned to her father, who had his arms crossed over his chest. "We're gonna head out for a bit and explore Forks," she told him. "I'll probably be back in a few hours, maybe more."

Charlie nodded his understanding. If Danielle wasn't mistaken, he seemed a little pleased to hear that his daughter was getting out of the house and making an effort to hang out with someone. "Alright. Do you need money?" he offered, already reaching for his wallet.

"Uh, sure," Bella said with a nod, looking surprised that Charlie was offering.

Charlie fished some bills from his wallet, then handed them to Bella. "Keep your phone on," he said. "Call me if you need anything."

Bella nodded, took the money, and stuffed it into her pocket. "Okay," she said. She then looked at Danielle. "Let's go."

Danielle nodded and followed her to the front door, offering a quick smile to Charlie as they walked past him. "It was nice to meet you, Chief Swan," she said politely.

"You, too, Danielle," he said with a nod and a close-lipped smile. "And be sure to tell your mother that I'd be happy to take her up on her offer to have Bella and I over for dinner. A nice, home-cooked meal sounds like a God-send," he added, following them toward the door. "Why don't we try for next weekend?"

Danielle nodded. "Sure. I'll pass the message along."

Charlie nodded, but didn't say anything more.

They said their goodbye's to Bella's father and headed out, shivering against the cold wind as they hurried to Bella's truck. Soon enough they were pulling away from Bella's house and driving toward the heart of Forks, listening to music and chatting about what they had done the night before. She found out that Bella had pretty much done the same thing that she had – she'd done her homework, had dinner with her father, then hung out in her room.

"So when you told Mike and the gang you had plans, really you were just trying to get out of having to go to that diner," Danielle said as they drove along, her lips pulling into a knowing smirk. It was what she had suspected the day before, but now it was confirmed.

Bella smiled sheepishly. "Don't get me wrong, I think they're nice and all," she said quickly. "It's just…the thought of being packed into that diner with a bunch of people that would just stare and point sounded like torture," she admitted.

"I know what you mean," Danielle said with a small smile. "That's why _I_ didn't go," she confessed. Bella nodded, her expression hinting that she had already known that. Danielle looked at her for a moment, then turned her eyes to the window. "Mike likes you, you know," she commented casually, eyeing a few people that she saw biking along the side of the road. "I can tell."

Bella was blushing when Danielle chanced another look at her. "Maybe, maybe not," she said with a shrug, her tone evasive. Danielle didn't think there were any _maybe's_ when it came to Mike's feelings toward Bella, but didn't bother trying to correct her. "Either way, he's, uh…not really my type," she said, shaking her head. "He's nice, but…"

Bella trailed off after that and didn't finish her sentence, but Danielle didn't need her to in order to get the point she was trying to make. Danielle nodded her understanding, then turned her gaze back to the window.

Their first stop was at a little antique store that they had driven past the day before. They parked the truck and went into the shop, stopping to briefly talk with the old lady who owned the place before taking a look around the store. They pointed out a number of cool things to each other and ' _ooh_ 'ed and ' _ahh_ 'ed over old, sparkly costume jewlery, but in the end, neither of them purchased anything. They only had so much money on them, and they wanted to wait until they found something good to spend it on.

The next shop they went into was a small clothing store, and Danielle actually did end up spending some money here. With how much colder it was in Forks compared to Houston, she felt like her wardrobe was in no way equipped to combat the cold. She purchased a few sweaters, a couple scarves, and several pairs of thick, warm socks, hoping it would be enough to keep her warm against the cold, biting winter weather outside. She put on one of the scarves before leaving the shop, then immediately celebrated her purchase when she stepped outside and felt how much more protected her neck was from the chilly wind.

They went into a few more places that seemed interesting, until Danielle's stomach began to rumble hungrily. She hadn't had time to eat breakfast, and all the roaming around and shopping they were doing had worked up quite an appetite. They ended popping into a diner that Bella said she and her dad went to quite a bit. Danielle strongly suspected this was the diner that Mike and the lunch gang had wanted them to hang out at the afternoon before.

The hostess showed Danielle and Bella to a table by the window, and after ordering cokes and burgers, they settled in and started chatting about whatever came to mind. When their food was delivered, Danielle immediately dug into her burger, sighing contentedly once she had some food in her belly.

"This is a good burger," she commented, before taking a drink of her coke.

"Yeah, the food's not bad," Bella said with a nod. "That's probably why we come here all the time," she added with a smirk and a shrug. "Well," she added after a moment, "that and my dad couldn't cook to save his life."

Danielle laughed, then took another bite of food. She noticed that Bella kept watching her in the moments that followed, though, her brows creased with thought and her teeth gnawing periodically at her bottom lip. She seemed to have something on her mind, something she was contemplating saying. Finally, after one more moment of hesitation, she spoke.

"Danielle? Can I ask you something?" she asked, tilting her head a bit.

Danielle swallowed her food and raised her brows. "You just did," she joked.

Bella offered a brief smile, but then frowned with uncertainty again. "I've been wanting to ask you about something for a few days now, only I never could find the right time to do it and I wasn't really sure how to bring it up," she told her, fiddling with her one of her utensils.

Danielle realized this was something serious and stopped eating. "What is it?" Danielle asked, her previous joking tone replaced with uncertainty as her mind began jumping to conclusions. Had she upset Bella at some point in the past few days? Had she done something to offend her? She really hoped not.

Bella hesitated, then leaned forward. "The other day, you told me you thought Jasper Hale was a jerk," she said, which caught Danielle completely by surprise. "When I asked why, you said it was a weird story and that you didn't wanna talk about it. Then Jessica said someone had seen the two of you together, and that whatever was happening it looked intense." Bella paused, her brows furrowing together again. "So, what I'm asking is…what happened between the two of you?" she asked intently. "Was it…bad?"

Danielle wasn't sure how to answer at first. She hadn't planned to tell anyone what had happened between her and Jasper unless she absolutely _had_ to, and that was for two reasons – one, she didn't want to accidently start spreading rumors, and, two, it had been so weird that she just wasn't sure if anyone would understand or even _believe_ her. But now here was Bella, asking her what had happened and looking almost desperate to know. Why did she want to know? Could she trust Bella? Would Bella understand? Or would she just end up thinking she was crazy?

Danielle sighed, then finally decided to just go for it and see what happened. "It certainly wasn't _good_ ," she admitted. "Jasper is in my first two class periods, and right from the beginning, right from when we first saw each other, he was just so… _strange,"_ she began to explain. "During both classes he just _stared_ at me. It wasn't the same kind of staring that I was getting from the other kids at school, though," she quickly clarified. "He had the most intense expression on his face. It was almost like he wanted to _do_ something to me and was trying to determine the best way to do it."

Bella's mouth fell open with shock. "What did he do?" she asked in a hiss. "Did he…" She paused to glance around, as if checking to make sure no one was listening. "Did he _hurt_ you?"

Danielle thought back to what had happened, and goosebumps raised on her skin. "Well, I was leaving the second class that I had with him when I remembered that I had forgotten something. I turned to go back into the class and ran right smack into him," she explained. "Jasper grabbed me, and he wouldn't let me go. His hands were so tight and he looked so angry and _frightening_ …I seriously thought he was going to try to do something to me," she admitted. "I tried to pull away, but he only held me tighter. He was trying to keep me from going anywhere."

Bella was shaking her head in disbelief. "How did you get away?"

"Emmett showed up and intervened," Danielle told her. "If he hadn't been there, I honestly don't know what would have happened." Danielle sucked in a deep breath and shook her head. "It scared the hell out of me, Bella," she said with a nod. "I can't remember another time in my life when I've ever been that scared."

Silence fell between them after that. Bella leaned back in her seat, her expression one of shock, while Danielle glanced around, unable to meet her gaze now. When a few more moments passed and Bella still didn't say anything, Danielle began to feel uncomfortable and wonder if maybe she had said too much. Did Bella think she was overreacting to this? Did she think she was jumping to conclusions? After all, why would a guy in their high school want to hurt Danielle for no good reason?

"Maybe it's not as bad as I'm making it out to seem," Danielle finally said, hoping to salvage the situation before Bella labelled her off a nutcase. "Maybe I overreacted, or maybe – "

Bella shook her head quickly though, making Danielle fall silent. "No, I don't think you're overreacting at all," she insisted. "The same thing happened to me," she revealed, which made Danielle's eyes go wide. "Well, not the _exact_ same thing, but something similar," she added quickly. "I mean…Edward, when I met him –"

Danielle's brows shot in surprise. "Edward? Jasper's brother?" she asked, which made Bella nod. "I thought you got a bit tense when Jessica mentioned Edward the other day, but I wasn't sure," she said, thinking back to Bella's reaction at lunch that first day of school. "What happened with him?" Danielle asked, wanting to know what was going on.

Bella sucked in a breath, then started talking. "Edward is in my Biology class. I saw him at lunch on Monday, which was my first day of school, but I didn't talk to him or anything. After lunch I went to Biology and he was there. The moment I walked in and he caught sight of me, he just started acting so strange. So… _hostile_ ," Bella admitted.

"Hostile?" Danielle asked, feeling a sinking feeling in her stomach. So it wasn't just Jasper that had a nasty streak to him? It was him _and_ Edward? "How so?"

Bella gestured with her hands for a moment, as if struggling to find the right words to describe what had happened. "It was just like you and Jasper. He looked at me with such… _hatred_. Like he wanted to _hurt_ me. And his eyes…" She trailed off, her expression hinting that she wasn't sure if she should continue on or not.

Danielle had a feeling she knew exactly what Edward's eyes had looked like. "Were they black?" she asked knowingly. Bella nodded, which made Danielle sigh. "So were Jasper's," she told her.

Bella looked surprised again. "Are you sure? It wasn't just a trick of the lighting or something?" she asked, sounding almost like she hoped Danielle _had_ been mistaken.

Danielle thought about it, then shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I mean, they couldn't have _really_ been black, right?" she asked with doubt. "It's not possible. Maybe it _was_ just a trick of the lighting."

Bella didn't say anything, just nodded slowly. She looked like she wasn't sure which option to believe, that Jasper and Edward had impossible eye colors, or that maybe she and Danielle had both been so caught off guard and so swept up in fear that they hadn't been thinking straight.

Danielle shook her head to clear her thoughts, then spoke again. "What happened with Edward after that?"

"Well, after class I found him in the counselor's center. He was trying to switch out of biology, but he couldn't. That made him mad," Bella said with a frown. Then she shrugged. "I didn't see him for the rest of the day, and when I came to school the next day, he wasn't there. He's been gone ever since."

They fell silent for a long few minutes after that, each lost in their own thoughts as they mulled over the conversation they'd just had. What could it all mean? Why were both Jasper _and_ Edward behaving so peculiarly? And why did they seem to have it out for her and Bella? Danielle shook her head, feeling completely lost. She didn't know what to think about all of this, and if the expression on Bella's face was anything to judge by, she didn't know what to make of it either. It was all so confusing and it all seemed so… _strange_.

They stopped talking about the Cullen's after that. In fact, they pretty much stopped talking altogether. After a conversation like that, neither of them seemed to know what to talk about. Danielle had to wonder why Bella had brought it up, then decide that maybe she had just been wanting to compare the two encounters they had had in search of answers of her own. _Whole lot of good **that** did,_ Danielle thought herself. Knowing Bella had had a similar experience with Edward had only confused her further. And she was sure Bella felt the same.

Finally, when they finished their meals, they paid the waitress and then headed for the truck. Bella asked Danielle if there were any more places she wanted to see, but Danielle, feeling in a bit of a funk now, declined. Bella seemed relieved. They drove home after that, listening to music and making small talk about whatever came to mind, carefully avoiding the subject of the Cullen's. Once they had parked in front of Bella's house again, they said a quick, slightly awkward goodbye, then went their separate ways.

* * *

Just before eleven the next morning, Danielle went to work with her mother. They drove the same route that she and Bella had taken the day before when they'd gone exploring, making their way into the heart of Forks, until they eventually parked in front of a decently sized shop entitled _Much Ado About Books_. Danielle paused to study the building, admiring the displays and cute decorations in the windows, before following her inside. They spent the hour before opening moving things in the backroom around and reorganizing certain area of the store. An employee named Patricia showed just before noon, then, as the clock struck twelve, they opened for the day.

She really hadn't known what to expect in terms of how busy it might get, but was pleasantly surprised when a steady flow of customers came in over the course of the next few hours. Danielle let Lynne and Patricia deal with any customers who needed help, choosing instead to keep herself busy by organizing books, cleaning various shelves, and tending to any displays that might've gotten out of order. After a quick, crash-course lesson of how to run the register, she eventually took up position behind the checkout counter and helped ring up customers.

"I'll tell you what," Danielle said around four that afternoon, when there was a lull in customers and they had a bit of downtime. Patricia had gone on a break, leaving just Danielle and her mother to man the store. "This place is way busier than I thought it would be."

Lynne, who was putting back some children's books that had gotten moved around earlier, nodded and smiled. "The lady who used to own this place said that it was always pretty busy," she told her. "It's been around for so long that's it become a bit of a cornerstone around these parts. Kind of a home away from home sort of deal for a lot of people in town."

Danielle quirked a brow. "I didn't think a bookstore would be that important," she said, not really seeing the appeal. She loved to read and she had plenty of books at home, but the places in which she purchased those books had never meant anything to her. Why would the people of Forks be so attached to this store? What made it so special?

Lynne shrugged. "The previous owner was very involved with the community. She always held fundraisers and book-drives, and there was always something going on here. Saturday morning read along's for kids, book club meetings for adults, so on and so forth," she explained. "She really wanted to make sure that the community felt welcome and taken care of here. The people loved her for it."

"I take it you're gonna try to carry on the tradition?" Danielle said, moving toward a kid's table to straighten up some of the chairs.

Lynne smiled broadly and nodded. "Absolutely," she said without hesitation. "Knowing how special this store is to the people of Forks makes me want to work extra hard to keep it the way everyone loves it. And you know what they say," she added with a smirk, "if it isn't broken, don't fix it."

Danielle just laughed and nodded her understanding. As unsure as she had been of this whole situation, it was easy to see now how happy her mother was here. She was positively glowing as she moved about the store, a look of pride in her eye as she surveyed her shop. Living in Forks, running the shop, being involved in the community…Lynne was thriving, and seemed happier than Danielle could ever remember her being. It was enough to make Danielle think that maybe coming to Forks _hadn't_ been a mistake, after all.

"Here," she said, moving to Lynne's side when she noticed her mother picking up a stack of books. "Let me."

"Thanks," Lynne said, nodding gratefully. "Could you carry them to the counter for me?"

Danielle nodded, picked up the books, then carried them to the counter while Lynne moved on to another section to straighten the books there. She had just set the books down by the cash register when the door to the shop opened, making the bell attached to it jingle loudly. Danielle turned to look in that direction and see who had arrived, a smile still playing on her lips as she thought about how happy she was for her mother.

But as she caught sight of the person who had just stepped inside, her smile fell and her heart jumped in her chest. There was a tall guy with blonde hair standing just inside the doorway, his posture stiff and his expression guarded. It was Jasper Hale, and though he looked uncomfortable, perhaps even a bit _frightened_ to be in the same room as her, there was no denying that he looked just as handsome as he had looked the first time she had seen him. Danielle gulped as their eyes held, only barely noticing when the large, dark-haired Emmett walked into the store next. Her eyes briefly moved to him and he gave a small wave, before moving past Jasper to go inspect some books on the nearest shelf. Danielle saw him not-so-discreetly nudge Jasper along the way.

Danielle looked at Jasper again, who was staring back at her with uncertainty, as if he wasn't sure what he should do next. The clearing of a throat made her pull her eyes from his to glance at her mother, who was looking back and forth between Jasper and Danielle with curiosity. Lynne then jerked her head toward Jasper, silently telling Danielle that she should go talk to him. Danielle's heart jumped in her chest again, but finally, after discreetly wiping her now clammy hands against the fabric of her jeans, she made her way over to Jasper.

The memories of the first day she'd seen Jasper replayed in her mind as she slowly stepped closer to him. It made her feel nervous and more than a little afraid. What if something set him off again? What if he got angry with her again? But as she finally came to a halt about two feet in front of him, she could tell in an instant that the Jasper standing in front of her now was not the same Jasper she had interacted with that day at school. He didn't seem comfortable or relaxed in any way, shape, or form, but he didn't look angry or predatory either, like he had when he had grabbed her.

"H-Hi," she said timidly. She shifted on her feet as his eyes gazed at her intently, studying every inch of her face. It didn't escape her notice that his eyes were a pretty amber color now. They weren't black, like she had thought they were that first day. Maybe she _had_ just been seeing things, or maybe it _had_ just been a trick of the lighting.

Jasper blinked, then finally offered a small, polite smile. "Hello, Danielle," he said smoothly. Her heart instantly began to beat faster, a pleasant warmth filling her chest. It was the first time he had spoken to her, and the sound of his voice was very pleasing to the ear. It was deep and smooth and sounded like it was made of the finest silk. Quite suddenly, she found herself liking the sound of her name a lot more just because Jasper had said it. "How are you?" he asked.

She had gotten so caught up in the sound of his voice that she had momentarily zoned out. His question caught her off guard, making her blink and blush as she came back to the present. "Uhm, I'm…fine," she answered. "You?" she then asked, raising her brows.

"Just fine, thank you," Jasper responded, inclining his head towards her respectfully.

He started to say something else, but paused when he glanced to the right and saw that Lynne was watching them like a hawk. Danielle looked that way as well and started to ask her mother to maybe go find something else to do while she spoke to Jasper. Before she could, however, Emmett came to the rescue by asking Lynne to help him locate a certain book. Once the two had disappeared between some shelves, Danielle and Jasper looked at each other again.

Jasper took a steadying breath, then stood a bit straighter, his shoulders squaring. "I came here today because I wanted to apologize for my behavior at school on Thursday," he told her. "I was completely out of line, and I am truly sorry if I hurt _or_ frightened you."

Without really thinking about what she was doing, Danielle folded her arms and placed her hands over the areas of her arms that were still covered in bruises. The sleeves of the t-shirt she wore were just barely long enough to cover the bruises Jasper's fingers had left behind, and she knew that if Jasper caught site of them, he'd know immediately where they had come from. She didn't want him to see them.

"What happened that day, Jasper?" she asked, tilting her head with curiosity. She thought she saw something flash through his eyes when she said his name, but she wasn't sure what that something was. "Did I do something _wrong_?"

"No," Jasper told her immediately. "It wasn't you, I swear it," he insisted. "I was…having a hard day that day," he then said, his expression a bit pinched. "I was struggling with my own problems and feeling very…unlike myself. When you ran into me and when I… _grabbed you_ …I wasn't thinking clearly." Jasper sighed and shook his head, his lips frowning now. "It isn't much of an excuse. But to be honest, there isn't an excuse in the world that could justify how I acted toward you," he said. "Where I come from, putting your hands on a woman is one of the worst things a man can do. It's cowardly and disrespectful and just… _wrong_. I don't expect you to forgive me – if you ask me, I don't even think I _deserve_ your forgiveness," Jasper went on to admit. "But I wanted to apologize anyway and tell you how absolutely horrible I feel about what happened. In time, I hope I can prove to you that I'm not the monster you met that day."

Danielle blinked as she stared into Jasper's remorse-filled eyes. There was a part of her that agreed with him when he said that he didn't deserve her forgiveness – her mother had always told her to stay away from men who hurt women, because any man who hurt a woman once could, and _would_ , do it again. Jasper had scared her, had _hurt_ her, and as far as this stubborn side of her was concerned, he didn't deserve the time of day, let alone her forgiveness.

Yet, at the same time, there was no denying that Jasper honestly and truly felt horrible for what had happened. She liked to think that she was pretty good at being able to read people, and as she considered everything he said and she looked deep into his eyes, there was no deceit present anywhere. She knew that the words he had spoken had been nothing but sincere and truthful. He was genuinely sorry for what had happened, and he wanted to make things right between them. As scared as she had been of him, as doubtful of him as she had felt in the days following that incident, Danielle suddenly found herself wanting to give him a second chance. People made mistakes all the time, right? Was it fair of her to judge him for one momentary lapse in judgement? Didn't he at least deserve the chance to prove that he was better than the guy who had grabbed her outside that classroom?

Danielle made up her mind very quickly. Jasper had put himself out there to apologize, had come to beg her forgiveness even though he himself didn't even think he deserved it – the least she could do was give him another chance to show her who the _real_ Jasper Hale was.

"You're right. You probably _don't_ deserve my forgiveness," she finally said. Jasper instantly looked disappointed, though not necessarily surprised to hear her say it. "But I'm gonna give it you anyway," Danielle added after a moment, which made Jasper's eyes brighten with hope again. She tried to ignore the way her heart thumped in response. "I don't like what happened, but the fact that you came here today and took a chance by explaining yourself and apologizing…that took guts, and it means a lot," she said with a nod. "So I forgive you, Jasper."

He flashed a small smile and nodded, looking relieved. "Thank you, Danielle."

Danielle nodded, then moved one hand to point at him. "But don't _ever_ do anything like that again," she added warningly. "Because if you do, I swear I'll make you regret it," she threatened. "I'm not above kicking you where the sun doesn't shine."

Jasper smirked, and for a second she thought he might actually laugh. "Well, you don't have to worry. Because nothing like that will _ever_ happen again. That's my promise to you, and I don't break the promises I make," he said with a firm nod.

"Alright, then," Danielle said with a note of finality. They stood there for a moment, just looking at one another, the air around them far less tense than it had been seconds before. Finally, Danielle took a step closer to Jasper. "Why don't we start over," she suggested, giving him a friendly smile now. "I'm Danielle," she introduced, sticking a hand in his direction.

Jasper looked at her hand for a moment, as if he wasn't sure he should take it or not, until he finally, _cautiously_ grabbed her hand. Danielle pressed her lips together to keep from gasping aloud as an electric shock shot up her arm. His hand was cold, but fit perfectly around her own. "I'm Jasper," he said, and there was a different note to his voice now that she couldn't put her finger on. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," she said, having to clear her throat to do so.

Jasper released her hand, then quickly shoved both of his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He glanced around the shop, then looked down at her. "While I'm here, I might as well see if there's any good books to take with me," he said, his tone calm and even now. "What sort of books do you have?"

Danielle shrugged. "All kinds," she answered. "What interests you the most?"

"I'm a fan of history," Jasper answered. "And I tend to prefer non-fiction over fiction books."

Danielle nodded her understanding. "Alright." She turned to glance around, scanning the markers at the type of aisles that designated the type of books in each section. When she spotted the non-fiction section, she turned back to Jasper. "Follow me," she said, motioning him along with a wave of her hand.

They started off for the non-fiction section, Danielle in the lead while Jasper trailed a few steps behind. Once they were making their way between shelves, she turned back to face Jasper, walking backwards now. "What about history interests you most? Do you like books about Vikings? Ancient Egypt? World explorers? Or are interested in something a little more modern?"

"I've always been very into the Civil War," Jasper told her with a small smile.

Danielle nodded, but frowned a bit as she eyed the shelves. "I don't know if I've seen anything about the Civil War here, but we can have a look around," she told him.

"Alright," Jasper said.

They stopped and began to slowly search the shelves for anything that fit the description of what Jasper was interested in. They stood side by side, but they didn't talk to one another. Instead, Danielle would glance at him out of the corner of her eye every few seconds, while Jasper seemed to be doing the same thing. Finally, when the silence was too much for her to handle, she cleared her throat.

"So where are you from?" Danielle asked conversationally. Jasper looked at her questioningly. "Earlier you said, _'where I come from'_ ," she reminded him. "So I'm curious…where are you from?"

Jasper hesitated before answering. "I was born in Houston, actually," he revealed, which made her brows shoot up in surprise. "I lived there when I was younger, then left when my adoptive parents took me in," he told her. "We've lived in the north for some time now."

"Wow," Danielle said, amazed by the coincidence that they were from the same place. "Emmett said he knew someone from Texas, but he didn't say it was _you._ What a small world," she commented, shaking her head. When Jasper seemed confused as to why she was saying that, Danielle explained herself. "That's where my mom and I are from. Houston," she told him with a smile.

Jasper seemed surprised too. "I had heard you were from Texas, but I didn't know you were from Houston," he said. He then smiled a bit. "I guess this is a small world we live in."

Danielle nodded her agreement, then turned her eyes back to the shelves of books to continue her search.

"Do you miss it?" Jasper asked, drawing her attention back to him. "Do you miss Houston, that is," he clarified.

Danielle sighed, then shrugged. "Honestly? Yes," she said truthfully. "I miss my friends. I miss the warmth. I miss the _sunshine_ ," she added with a note of disdain. "I haven't seen the sun _once_ since I got here, and that's kind of depressing." Danielle sighed again, before shaking her head. "But I guess Forks isn't so bad," she admitted. "I've met some nice people, and I kind of like the whole ' _small town'_ aesthetic. Plus my mom is really happy here, so I think it kinda makes it all worth it, you know?" she told him.

Jasper glanced behind them, looking at Lynne and Emmett as they discussed a few books near the front of the store. "What about you?" he asked, looking at her again. "Are _you_ happy here?"

Danielle pressed her lips together, unsure how to answer him. When she took too long to respond, Jasper frowned with what looked like apology. "I'm sorry," he said. "That was a very personal thing to ask."

Danielle shook her head. "It's fine," she quickly reassured him. He seemed to relax after that. "To answer your question, I wouldn't say I'm _unhappy_ here. I'm just…still getting used to it," she answered. "It just takes time, right?" she added optimistically.

Jasper nodded. "Right."

They stopped talking and continued searching through the rows of books. While Jasper studied the titles on the spines, reaching out every so often to inspect something that caught his attention, Danielle found her gaze magnetized to him. She had thought he was handsome right from the start, but the more she looked at him, the more she began to think that _handsome_ didn't do him justice. Everything about him was perfect, from his slightly wild blonde hair to the line of his jaw to the graceful way his fingers trailed along the books as he searched for one that he might want. He _smelled_ good, too, something she hadn't noticed when they'd first met. There was an earthy scent clinging to him, one that made her think of pine trees and left her wondering if perhaps he had been in the forest recently, because that certainly didn't smell like any sort of cologne that could be bought in a store. Jasper Hale wasn't just handsome, she decided right then and there. He was breathtaking. He was _beautiful_.

When he suddenly looked at her and their gazes met, she blushed and quickly turned to continue down the aisle, cursing herself internally for getting caught staring at him. She heard him slowly trail behind her, but she didn't dare turn around to face him, not while her cheeks were still so red.

On the next aisle, she was relieved when she finally located a section of books dedicated to the Civil War. Being around Jasper was making her nervous for an entirely new reason now, and making it difficult for her to concentrate on acting like the normal, level-headed human being she liked to believe she was. Part of her was ready to help Jasper find a book and send him on his way, just so she could get her bearings again – the other part of her wanted him to stick around as long as possible, even if only so she could stare at him a bit longer.

"Here we are," Danielle announced, moving closer to the books and eyeing the titles. "We've got biographies about different generals, a few books focusing on just the battles, some more books about the president and politics at the time," she listed off. She glanced back at Jasper, but found that he had been looking at _her_ , not at the books she was telling him about. When he realized he'd been caught staring, however, he quickly shifted his attention to the books. Danielle cleared her throat again. "Any of these sound interesting?"

"May I see one of the books about the battles, please?" Jasper asked with a nod toward the books in question.

Danielle nodded, grabbed the first one she saw, then placed it in his outstretched hand. She waited patiently while Jasper opened up the book and flipped through the first few chapters, his eyes bouncing from side to side as he quickly read the words on the pages. Danielle watched him closely, admiring the way the light bounced off his golden hair, resisting the urge to step closer just so she could get another whiff of the piney scent that clung to him. Danielle finally stopped staring when he glanced up at her briefly, as if he could feel her eyes on him. Instead she glanced back at her mother and Emmett, who were now sharing a laugh about something in the front. Emmett looked her way and raised his brows at her, as if silently asking how everything was going. She just smiled and gave him a discreet nod to say that everything was alright.

"I'll get this," Jasper announced a moment later, closing the book as he finished his initial inspection. "I think it seems quite interesting."

"Alright," Danielle said with a smile. She held her hand out for the book, which he passed back to her, then motioned for him to follow her back to the register. "If you come with me, I'll get you rung up."

Jasper nodded, and with that they left the non-fiction area behind and went to the front checkout counter. She noticed when Jasper and Emmett shared a nod, and also noticed the way her mother looked Jasper up and down. As she went behind the cash register and began to ring Jasper up, he came to a halt on the other side of the counter, his eyes watching her every move. It was a transaction that should have been quick, but the way he was watching her made her nervous feelings kick back up. Her heart began to pound against her ribs and her fingers shook a bit, which made her have to start over with the transaction process twice because she she kept pressing the wrong buttons. Finally, she was able to get it right.

"That'll be sixteen dollars and fifty-seven cents," she said.

Jasper grabbed his wallet and pulled out a credit card. She ran the card, passed it back to him, then grabbed the receipt when it finished printing. "Do you have a pen?" he asked, since he needed to sign the receipt.

"Yeah, uh, lemme just…" She trailed off and glanced arund, until she spoted a pen on the end of the counter. "There it is."

Danielle stretched her arm to the left to grab the pen, then offered it to Jasper. He didn't take it at first though, didn't even _look_ at the pen. Instead, he frowned deeply and his jaw tightened as his eyes stared intently at Danielle's left arm, as if he was seeing something he didn't like. Confused, Danielle glanced down at her own arm, only to quickly realize exactly what Jasper had seen. When she had reached for the pen, the sleeve of her shirt had slid upward, exposing the bruises that she had been trying to hide. In an instant, she knew that Jasper had figured out exactly where they had come from. His gaze flicked to her other arm, then back and forth a few times, before finally looking into her eyes. She'd never seen anyone look as guilty or as _angry_ with themselves as Jasper looked in that exact moment.

"I did that," he stated quietly, his eyes full of shame and regret. "I left those marks on you."

She didn't know why, but she felt her heart go out to him. "It's nothing I can't handle," she assured him.

"But – " he started to argue.

" _Jasper_ ," she interrupted firmly, placing a hand over one of his, which was resting on top of the counter. Jasper's eyes darted down to where she was touching him, then shot back up to hers. She thought she saw him gulp. "It's _fine_. _I'm fine._ Okay?" she insisted.

Jasper finally nodded jerkily, even though he didn't look convinced. Danielle moved her hand away from his after that, then handed him the pen. After he signed the receipt, he handed it back. She printed out a second copy of the receipt, placed it and the book in a small plastic bag, then handed it over to him. "I'm sorry, Danielle," he said quietly as he took the bag, his eyes full of remorse.

Danielle gave him a small, gentle smile. "And I already forgave you, remember?" she said pointedly.

Jasper just nodded again, then took a big step backward. "I…I should go," he said, glancing toward the door.

"Okay," Danielle said, half of her feeling relieved that he was leaving, but the other half not wanting him to go yet. "I'll see you at school tomorrow?" she asked, a note of hopefulness lacing the words.

Jasper nodded. "You will," he confirmed. "Goodbye, Danielle," he finally said.

"Goodbye."

Jasper turned and left after that, not even bothering to wait for Emmett as he quickly walked outside. Danielle let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding once he was gone, then ran a hand through her red curls, her head shaking a bit. She finally looked away from the door that Jasper had just disappeared through when Emmett said goodbye to her mother and came walking up to the checkout counter. He glanced at the door, then raised his brows at her.

"Told you he wasn't a bad guy," he said knowingly. Danielle just blinked at him. "Everything good now?" he asked.

Danielle paused, then nodded. "I think so," she said, though the uncertainty in her tone was obvious. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Emmett nodded, then jerked her head toward the exit. "I should go. But I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

After Danielle nodded, Emmett made a fist with one large hand and extended it in her direction. Danielle looked at it in confusion until she realized he was waiting for her to fist bump him. When she did finally did so, he smirked and pumped his fist in the air in silent celebration. Danielle couldn't help but snort at him in amusement, despite the whirlwind of emotions still swirling through her after her encounter with Jasper.

"Later, Danielle," he said with a grin as he headed for the door.

"Bye, Emmett," she called back.

Once Emmett was gone and the door had shut behind him, Danielle sighed and leaned heavily against the counter. Not two seconds later, Lynne came to stand on the other side of the counter.

"Okay, missy," Lynne said, making Danielle look at her. Her mother had her brows raised and was standing in stereotypical ' _mom pose'_ , complete with her hands on her hips and her foot tapping against the ground impatiently. "Clearly you've been withholding information," she said accusingly. "Wanna tell me what that was all about?"

Danielle didn't really want to talk boys with her mother, but she also knew the look that was currently on Lynne's face – she wasn't going to let the subject drop until she found out what she was wanting to know. "They're just some guys I go to school with," she answered. When Lynne wasn't satisfied with that answer, Danielle heaved. "Jasper and I kinda got off on the wrong foot the other day, so he came to apologize and set things right," she told her truthfully. "It's not a big deal, honestly."

Lynne quirked a brow. "You said there weren't any cute boys at your school," she reminded her. "Emmett was cute. And that _Jasper_ was a looker, too. And it _certainly_ looked like there was something going on between the two of you," she added knowingly.

"There's nothing going on between me and Jasper," Danielle insisted.

"You sure?" Lynne countered.

" _Yes,_ Mom," Danielle said impatiently.

Lynne narrowed her eyes for a moment, then finally held her hands up in defeat. "Alright. If you say there's nothing going on, then there's nothing going on," she conceded. Danielle sighed with relief and started to thank her for dropping the subject, but didn't get the chance to before her mother spoke again. "Not _yet_ anyway," she added, which made Danielle roll her eyes. "Roll your eyes all you want, sweetie, but I can clearly see that you're interested," Lynne said, undeterred. "And I can see that _he_ is, too."

She might have said more, but thankfully the door opened and a few elderly customers came walking in. Lynne shot her one last look, then went to go and help them, leaving Danielle by herself again.

Was Lynne wrong about her being interested in Jasper? No, she supposed she wasn't. The fact of the matter was that the Jasper she had met today was _nothing_ like the Jasper she had met on her first day of school. Today he had been cordial, pleasant, perhaps even… _friendly_. It was such a drastic change from how he had been when they had first been around each other, so drastic that now she questioning everything she had been feeling toward Jasper Hale these past few days. She had thought he was a jerk, someone clearly wasn't someone to even _attempt_ to befriend and who she had decided to avoid like the plague. But after today, he actually seemed… _nice_. All of her previous fear of him was gone, replaced instead by interest and curiosity. She found herself wanting to get to know him better, wanting to talk to him and spend more time with him. He'd shown a completely different side to her, and this new side was one that she liked, one that she wanted to get better acquainted with.

But certainly her mother was wrong when she said that Jasper was interested in her in return, right? His only reason for coming to talk to her today was because he had wanted to apologize to her, like any normal person would do after they were rude to someone. There were no ulterior motives there, Danielle was sure of it. Besides, why would someone like _him_ be interested in someone like _her_? He was insanely attractive, came from a family that apparently had a boatload of money, and could likely get anyone he wanted. So why would he even give her a second look? Furthermore, did she even _want_ him to be interested in her in that way?

Danielle thought about that for a moment longer, then decided that she wasn't sure _what_ she wanted anymore. She was definitely attracted to him physically, and this new, friendly side to Jasper certainly held promise…but she couldn't just forget what had happened between them so easily. There was clearly another side to him, one that was dangerous, one that she needed to remain wary of no matter _how_ friendly he was to her. Today might have been a step in the right direction, but he still had a ways to go before he proved that he was someone she could trust. He'd apologized, which was good, but she wouldn't really know how things would go between them until she spent some more time around him and got to know him better.

Danielle finally told herself to stop thinking about it. Jasper had apologized and they had agreed to a fresh start. Now, only time would tell what would happen between her and Jasper Hale.

* * *

 **Review!**


	4. Chapter Three

**I would just like to quickly say thank you to everyone who has reviewed, added this story to their alert/favorite list, or who has reached out to me through PM. I am so, so, so glad you guys are enjoying the story! Thank you for reading, and I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Three_

On Monday morning, Danielle woke to the sound of rain pattering against her bedroom window. She came to alertness slowly, blinking once or twice to clear the sleep from her eyes, before turning onto her back. With a wide yawn, she stretched her arms above her head, hearing a bone or two pop as she did so. She then glanced at the clock on her nightstand, which read _7:30._

It took a moment for things to click into place, but when they did, Danielle's eyes went wide with shock. " _Crap!"_ she shouted, jumping out of her bed like it was on fire. She had overslept, and though she normally had a solid half hour to get ready for school, she now only had five short minutes to get it together before she was supposed to meet Bella at the truck.

Danielle raced around the bedroom, searching wildly for clothes and throwing on the first clean items her hands touched. She then ran into the bathroom to quickly wash her face and brush her teeth, before throwing her hair into another messy knot on the top of her head. Skipping any makeup this time around, she practically jumped into a pair of shoes before racing downstairs. She grabbed a bagel from the pantry, rounded up her belongings for school, grabbed her jacket, then hurried out this door in what had to be record timing.

She jogged across the street, bagel hanging from her mouth as she struggled to put on her jacket, her backpack swinging around wildly with her movements. Bella was leaning against her truck and holding an umbrella over her head to shield her from the rain, looking thoroughly amused as she watched Danielle attempt to get herself in order. Danielle finally got herself situated, then grabbed a hold of her bagel and took a large bite, her eyes briefly turning upward to glare at the rain coming down from the grey sky.

"Rough morning?" Bella called to her teasingly.

"I woke up late," Danielle grumbled as she joined her under the umbrella. She _hated_ oversleeping – she felt like it threw her whole day off whenever she had to rush to get ready in the morning. "I hope you haven't been waiting long," she said, her expression apologetic.

Bella shook her head. "Nah, I only came outside like a minute ago."

"Good," Danielle said, relieved. "Let's get out of the rain before I end up looking like a drowned rat."

Bella nodded, and they quickly hurried to climb into the cab. Danielle wiped the rain from her face once she was situated in the cab, watching as Bella paused outside the driver's door to close the umbrella. Once Bella had joined her in the cab and they were both situated, Bella started the engine and began driving toward school. Danielle finished eating her bagel, then looked over at her eagerly. Now that the morning was back on track and she could think coherently again, she couldn't wait to tell her what had happened with Jasper the previous day.

"Jasper and Emmett came to my mother's store yesterday," she blurted out.

Bella looked over at her sharply, her eyes wide with surprise. "What?" she asked in shock. "Why?"

"Jasper came to apologize, and I think Emmett just tagged along for moral support," Danielle said with a shrug. "Needless to say, I was shocked as all hell when they came walking into the shop."

"I'll bet," Bella said with a huff. "So what did he say? How did it go?" she asked eagerly.

Danielle quickly recounted everything that Jasper had said, from how he had said that he had been having a hard time the day he had grabbed her and hadn't been feeling like himself, to how he had been completely ashamed of himself for how he had treated her. She then told Bella how he had admitted that even _he_ hadn't thought he deserved her forgiveness but had come to beg for it anyway, and how, in the end, he had said that he hoped he could prove to her that he was not that mean, angry person he had been when they first met. Bella listened with rapt attention, her brows furrowed with interest.

"And what did _you_ say?" Bella asked when Danielle finished talking.

Danielle sighed, then shrugged. "I told him I forgave him," she said simply. Bella raised her brows, as if it surprised her to hear that Danielle had forgiven him so quickly. "There was a part of me that didn't want to," Danielle confessed. "But I could just tell that he meant everything he had said and that he really felt bad for everything that happened. In the end, giving him a second chance felt like the right thing to do."

Bella nodded slowly in understanding. "So then what happened next?" she asked curiously. "Did he leave after that?"

"Actually, no," Danielle revealed. "He stayed to shop for a book and we ended up talking for a little bit." She paused to think back to the previous afternoon, remembering how _nice_ Jasper had been and how drastically her feelings toward him had changed. "He wasn't anything like the guy that scared the crap out of me when we first met," Danielle told Bella, shaking her head. "He was friendly and polite and… _normal_. And he certainly didn't have _black eyes,_ " she said pointedly, her mind jumping back to the last conversation she'd had with Bella. "I dunno…it's got me wondering if maybe I was mistaken that day. Maybe there _isn't_ anything weird going on with Jasper after all," she mused aloud. "Maybe I was wrong about him."

Bella pressed her lips together, her eyes staring forward. She was silent for a long moment, until she finally nodded. "Yeah. Maybe," she agreed quietly. Bella looked deep in thought for another moment before she shook her head, as if clearing her mind. She then looked over at Danielle and offered her a smile. "I'm glad he came to talk to you," she said. "And I'm glad he apologized."

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Me too."

"What do you think will happen now?" Bra asked curiously.

Danielle looked at Bella and sighed, her shoulders shrugging helplessly. "I have no idea," she said honestly. "I just have to wait and see what happens, I guess."

Bella made a sound of understanding, then looked at Danielle with raised brows. "What do you _want_ to happen?" she asked next.

Danielle blushed and shrugged. "I'm not sure about _that_ either, if I'm being honest," she admitted quietly.

They stopped talking about Jasper after that, which was a bit of relief. Danielle didn't have any answers when it came to Jasper Hale. She didn't know how she felt about him anymore and she certainly didn't know where things might go now that they had smoothed things over. All she knew in that moment was that she and Bella would soon be at school, which meant she would soon be seeing Jasper again. And though she was nervous to see him again, it wasn't because she was afraid to see him. In fact, she was pretty sure the feeling in her belly was one of _excitement._

They finally pulled into the school parking lot about ten minutes later, and by that time the rain had died down enough to where they didn't need the umbrella anyway. They pulled into one of the only spaces left, which just so happened to be a few spaces down from a fancy looking red car. Danielle stepped out of the truck, looked at the car, then realized with a jolt that the fancy car was one of the Cullen cars. She glanced at the school, and as she thought about Jasper bring in there somewhere, her heart thumped hard against her ribs.

After grabbing their backpacks and locking the truck, Danielle and Bella headed into the school and made a beeline for their lockers, which were close to one another. Once they had the things they needed for their first few classes, they said their goodbyes for now. "Good luck," Bella said with a smile, giving her an encouraging nod.

Danielle smiled nervously. "Thanks," she said, trying to ignore the butterflies flapping wildly in her stomach.

She headed for her class, her thoughts, and her _heart,_ racing more and more with each step that brought her closer to him. Once she was standing outside the classroom, she paused to suck in a deep, steadying breath before slowly releasing it. Then, she stepped into the room.

Her eyes landed on Jasper immediately. He was sitting in his usual seat, the one next to his sister, Rosalie. It seemed to Danielle that he had been watching the door because his gaze was locked in her direction, almost like he'd been waiting for her to arrive. He sat straighter as their eyes met, then offered a small smile and a nod of his head. Danielle smiled back, feeling her cheeks heat up with what was undoubtedly a blush, and offered a small wave.

"Hey, _new girl_ ," said an impatient voice behind her. "Move it or lose it!"

Danielle jumped in surprise, realizing then that she had been standing in the doorway and blocking anyone else from coming inside. She glanced back at the irritated guy behind her, mumbled an apology, then went to her seat. Jasper shot a look at the boy who had snapped at her, his expression hard to read, then looked at Danielle, his brows raising a bit. She just shrugged in response, her expression sheepish.

In the next moment, Rosalie leaned over and said something for only Jasper to hear, making him look away from Danielle so he could gaze at his sister instead. Danielle looked at her too, and though she had no idea what Rosalie was saying, if the glare the blonde threw her way was anything to judge by, it wasn't anything _good._ Jasper glanced back at Danielle again, then heaved and faced forward again as the bell rang to signal the start of class. Rosalie just gave her one last hard look before shifting her attention forward as well. Danielle shook her head, confused, before forcing herself to focus on the teacher as he started talking.

It wasn't easy to pay attention in class. When Jasper hadn't been there on Friday, she had been able to follow along with the lesson without any distractions. But now that Jasper was present again, she frequently found her eyes wandering over to him, admiring the way his dark blue sweater contrasted against his pale skin and golden hair. He looked cute when he was concentrating, she quickly decided. Then again, he probably looked cute no matter _what_ he was doing.

Before she knew it, the bell was ringing overhead to send everyone to their second class of the day, catching her a bit by surprise. Danielle gathered her things slowly, trying to be discreet as she watched Jasper do the same. He stood from his desk but didn't leave straight away, which made Rosalie stop and share a few more words with him. Jasper finally said something that made Rosalie scowl, shoot Danielle a dark look, then go stomping out of the classroom. Danielle watched her go, not sure she knew what was going on but feeling pretty certain that whatever it was, it had something to do with _her._ She then looked at Jasper, who was standing at the front of the class and looking at her, as if he was waiting for her to get up.

Danielle's brows shot up in surprise, before she pressed her lips together and stood from her desk, clutching her books tightly to her chest out of nervousness as she walked up to him. Jasper held his books tightly with one hand, his other hand shoved deep into the pocket of his jeans. He looked a bit uncertain, maybe even a tiny bit _nervous_ as she came to a halt in front of him. He smiled politely nonetheless, and the sight of his smile up close made her heart skip a beat.

"Hello again, Danielle," he said smoothly.

"Hi, Jasper," she said with a small smile.

He looked at her for a moment, then gestured toward the door. "Shall we go to English?" he asked.

Danielle was shocked that he wanted to walk with her, but she quickly nodded, and with that they walked out of the class together.

Once they were in the hall they fell into step with one another, walking side by side. And though neither of them spoke at first, they both snuck glances at each other as they started in the direction of their next class.

"You seem to be of particular interest today," Jasper finally commented to break the silence, his eyes surveying the many students around them.

Danielle hadn't been paying attention to anyone but Jasper, but his observation made her take a moment to glance around. Just as had happened when she'd walked with Emmett the week before, nearly every person they passed was gaping at them with surprise, as if they couldn't believe they were seeing someone, let alone the newest addition to Forks High, in the company of a Cullen.

"It's because I'm with you," she said without thinking. Jasper looked at her with a slight smirk, which made her blush. He made her blush so frequently, she was starting to fear her cheeks would turn permanently red before long. "You know…because you're a Cullen," Danielle quickly added, not wanting him to think she was insinuating that their classmates thought something was going on between them. "Aren't you Cullen's supposed to hate everyone or something?"

Jasper thought about it, then shrugged. "Not _everyone_ ," he correct. "Just the _annoying_ ones," he added, that same smirk reappearing on his lips.

Danielle smiled, then gave him a curious look as she remembered something Jessica had said the other day. "You're not a Cullen, though," she pointed out. "Not by _name_ anyway," she added when he gave her a confused look. "Your name is Hale."

Jasper didn't look confused anymore. "Yes, it is," he confirmed. When Danielle gave him a look, silently asking him why that was, he spoke again. "When Rosalie and I were adopted, we had the opportunity to take the name of our new family," he told her. "We chose not to, though. We preferred to keep our own name."

Danielle's brows furrowed with interest. "You and Rosalie? You're actually related? As in _blood_ related?" she asked.

Jasper gave her a small smile. "She's my twin."

Danielle's expression turned to one of shock. She certainly hadn't expected _that_ one. But now that she thought about it, she supposed she should have been able to tell from the beginning – they were the same age, had the same hair color, and all around looked quite similar. It only made sense that they were brother and sister by blood, not just by adoption.

"I see," Danielle mused aloud, nodding her head. She then quirked a brow at Jasper. "Well, seeing as you're her twin, I suppose you know her pretty well, right?" Jasper nodded in confirmation. "Mind explaining to me why she seems to hate my guts?" Danielle asked bluntly.

Jasper tensed for a moment, his eyes meeting hers sharply. When Danielle just raised her brows and gave him a look that said she expected him to give her a good answer, he cleared his throat and shrugged, looking a bit uncomfortable now. "Rosalie doesn't have many people that she's close to. In fact, the only people she cares for at all are me, our parents, Emmett, and our adoptive siblings," he explained. "When it comes to new people interacting with us, she can get a bit…protective. Almost to the point of territorial," he told her with a small wince. "So, to summarize, she doesn't _hate_ you," Jasper concluded. "She just…doesn't trust easily."

Danielle huffed. She could understand being protective, because she could get the same way when it came to her _own_ loved ones. But what exactly did Rosalie think Danielle was going to do? What could she possibly find so threatening about her? "It sure _seems_ like she hates me," she countered.

"She'll come around," Jasper said. Danielle gave him a disbelieving look. "Maybe," he added after that, looking unsure himself.

They walked in silence for the next few moments. It eventually registered in Danielle's mind that she wasn't feeling as nervous or awkward in Jasper's presence as she had when they had first started walking together. She felt much calmer now, felt comfortable and relaxed and at ease with him.

"So," she said, wanting to steer the conversation elsewhere, "have you started reading that book you bought?"

Jasper smirked, took a quick second to sort through the school books he was holding, then produced the book she had sold to him the previous day. She could see a dog-eared page a little ways near the middle, which let her know he'd already read quite a bit. "I can hardly put it down," he said with a nod. "It was an excellent suggestion. Thank you."

Danielle didn't know why, but it was immensely satisfying to know that Jasper was enjoying the book that she had sold him. "I'm glad you like it," she said, trying not to sound _too_ overly pleased. "At the rate you're going, you'll be finished with that book in no time," she said, pointing to the dog-eared page.

Jasper nodded as he tucked the book back in with his school textbooks. "Guess I'll just have to come see what other books you might suggest when I'm done, won't I?" he asked with a small smile.

Those words made Danielle's heart flutter, and for a moment she couldn't seem to make any words leave her lips. She finally just nodded, trying hard not to look like an idiot as she smiled at him.

They finally made it to class, and though Danielle had fully expected Jasper to sit in his usual seat on the other side of the room, he ended up sliding into the desk on her right instead, so that they sat next to one another. The girl who had sat there last week seemed surprised when she entered the room and found the desk occupied, but when Jasper merely gave her a look that said he wouldn't be going anywhere, she quickly scampered off to find another place to sit. Danielle hid a smile behind her hand, feeling a little bad for the girl who was so obviously intimidated by Jasper, but also liking the fact that he was so determined to sit next to her.

The lesson started after the bell rang, and if she thought it had been hard to concentrate in Calculus when Jasper had been sitting within eyesight, it was three times as difficult to focus now that he was right next to her. She tried to concentrate on what the teacher was saying, she really did. But all of her senses seemed to be tuned in to Jasper, aware of his every movement and of every breath he took. Danielle couldn't stop herself from glancing at him out of the corner of her eye every few minutes or so…and she could feel _him_ watching _her,_ too.

About halfway through class, their teacher told them all to pair up for an in-class assignment, and after sharing a quick look with one another, Danielle and Jasper paired with each other. They pushed their desks closer together, which had seemed like a good idea in theory, but actually ended up perhaps being a bad idea in the end. Once he was sitting closer, that piney scent that she associated solely with Jasper now seemed to surround her, invading her nostrils and making it even _more_ difficult to focus on the task at hand. All she wanted to do was lean over and press her nose into his shirt, just so she could get more of that scent in her nose.

Danielle rolled her eyes at her own train of thought. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she seem to get ahold of herself? She and Jasper had only _just_ started taking the first few tentative baby steps toward friendship – if she wanted things between them to stay on the right path, she needed to act like a _normal_ person, not like some weird, clothes-sniffing freak.

"Are you alright, Danielle?" Jasper asked quietly, his deep, smooth voice quickly pulling her back to the present.

Danielle smiled at him and nodded jerkily. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, trying to act and sound casual. "Why do you ask?"

"You just seem a bit…distracted," he pointed out, his eyes studying her with interest.

"Nah. I'm just…thinking about the assignment," Danielle lied with a shrug.

Jasper nodded and did not push the subject any further. Danielle mentally berated herself again as he turned his attention back to the assignment, telling herself internally to get it together before Jasper started to think she had some sort of chemical imbalance.

Then, quite out of nowhere, it felt like a wave of calmness washed over her, making her internal fretting instantly come to an end. Danielle smiled contentedly, though she wasn't quite sure _why_ she was smiling, and looked at Jasper, feeling at ease again. Jasper merely smirked a bit, then, after he asked her a question about the assignment, they quickly got back to work.

When the bell rang, they gathered up their things and left together. Jasper held the door for her, which made her smile bashfully as she passed by. He followed her out into the hall and they paused outside the classroom, both staring at each other with slight awkwardness, as if they didn't know what to say or do next. Danielle could not help but to think back to the last time they had been standing outside this classroom together, how on that day Jasper had been terrifying and she had been scared out of her mind to be in his presence. Now, well…now things were very different. And she found it amazing how drastically things could change in such a short amount of time.

"I should probably be getting to class," she said, even though she would have _much_ rather stayed with him. "But…it was nice talking to you," Danielle said, holding her books tight to her chest again as she tried to fight the urge to blush under his gaze.

"It was nice talking to you, too," Jasper agreed. "I'll see you later, Danielle," he then said, inclining his head a bit.

"Bye, Jasper."

Danielle looked at him for another moment, then finally turned and started down the hallway. She glanced back after a few steps and was not surprised to see that Jasper was watching her leave. Danielle smiled at him, which earned her a small smile of his own in return. She faced forward again, grinning to herself now, and continued on to her next class.

* * *

When she walked into her history class, Emmett was already sitting at his desk and watching her with both raised brows and a knowing smirk on his lips. Danielle tried very hard to contain the smile that had been on her lips ever since she had parted ways with Jasper as she sat down, but she failed miserably. She was pleased with the way everything was going so far, and it was impossible to hide.

"Someone's in a good mood today," Emmett remarked teasingly.

Danielle glanced at him. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said evasively.

"Liar," Emmett accused without missing a beat. "How'd it go with Jasper?" he then asked, looking very curious to know.

Another smile threatened to spread across her face, but Danielle managed to suppress it. "Everything was fine," she answered aloofly.

Emmett looked at her, then snorted. "That's it? That's all you've got to tell me?" he asked disbelievingly. "C'mon, Dani," he said, catching her by surprise as he called her by the name that only her mother and her closest friends used. "Give me the details. You can trust me," he encouraged with a nod.

Danielle shook her head and gave him an exasperated, albeit _amused_ , look. She was starting to think Emmett might be just as big of a gossip as Jessica was. "There's nothing to tell, Emmett. We talked between classes, worked on an assignment together, then went our separate ways. It was cordial. It was _normal."_

Emmett stared at her through narrowed eyes, looking very much like he suspected that she still wasn't telling him the whole story. Eventually he seemed to come to the conclusion that she wasn't going to cave, however, and nodded in approval. "Well, that's good. It would have been a shame if things had gone badly, especially so considering how _happy_ Jasper was after the talk you two had yesterday," he added matter-of-factly.

Danielle looked at Emmett sharply after he said this, her heart skipping a beat. Jasper had been happy? Exactly _how_ happy? What else did Emmett know? Had Jasper told him anything? She really wanted to ask Emmett, but when she saw the smirk on his face and the knowing look in his eye, as if she had reacted exactly as he had thought she would, she knew she had to play it cool. Anything she did or said would likely get back to Jasper, so she didn't want to come off as too eager or too interested.

"He was happy, huh?" she asked, keeping her voice perfectly neutral.

"Uh huh," Emmett confirmed, his smirk not budging an inch. " _Super_ happy. Almost annoyingly so."

Danielle nodded, though internally her stomach flipped with excitement. "Good, good," she said nonchalantly, still trying to play things cool.

Emmett grinned. Clearly he wasn't buying her act. "You know you're happy to hear it," he said teasingly. "I can practically _see_ you dancing in your head right now."

Danielle rolled her eyes, then, without giving it a second thought, she reached over to smack his muscled shoulder. The moment she made contact, however, pain shot through her hand, making her hiss and shake her hand, as if trying to shake the pain away. "Geez, muscle man," she said, frowning at him as she rubbed her hand. It felt like she'd just smacked a brick wall. "What the heck are you made of, _iron_? I'm surprised I didn't break my freaking hand."

Emmett chuckled and wagged a finger at her. "That, my friend, is what you get for hitting people," he shot at her in a scolding tone. "Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" he then asked, clicking his tongue in mock disappointment. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Danielle snorted and rolled her eyes. "And it's in this moment that I've realized exactly how _annoying_ you are," she said, shaking her head.

Emmett grinned. "You still like me, though," he said with confidence.

He was right, of course. He was annoying and nosey and cocky, but it was the _right_ kind of annoying and nosey and cocky. Emmett made her laugh, he was easy to talk to, and outside of Bella, he was probably the only person in Forks High that she felt completely comfortable around. The truth of the matter was that Emmett Cullen was becoming her friend, and there was nothing she could do – or _wanted_ to do – to stop that. She wasn't going to tell _him_ that, though. He was arrogant enough as it was without her adding fuel to the fire.

"If that's what you wanna believe," Danielle shot at him with a sweet, slightly sarcastic smile.

Emmett chuckled, looking unconvinced. "Deny it all you want. I know the truth," he shot back.

Danielle started to say something in response, but froze when a new voice beat her to the punch.

"Miss Clark! Mr. Cullen!" their teacher snapped. They both looked to the front of the room, and Danielle was surprised to discover that their teacher had taken her place at the chalkboard and was looking quite annoyed at the moment. Apparently the bell had rung and class had started, only Danielle had been so preoccupied talking to Emmett that she hadn't noticed. "Class has started and I will ask that you _pay attention_ ," the teacher said huffily. "If you continue to talk, I'll be forced to separate you!" she then threatened.

"Sorry, ma'am," Danielle said immediately, her cheeks turning pink.

Emmett apologized as well, and after giving them one last stern glare, the teacher turned around to start writing on the chalkboard. Once her back was turned on them, Emmett flashed her a mischievous grin. "I'd just like to see her _try_ to separate us," he murmured just loud enough for her to hear.

Danielle smirked in response, then forced her eyes forward so that she could pay attention.

Once History was over – they managed to make it through the rest of class without getting yelled at, thank goodness – she and Emmett bumped fists again and said their goodbye's, before going their separate ways. Danielle hurried to Spanish, eager to be reunited with Bella so she could tell her everything that had happened so far. She ended up beating Bella to class, then practically bounced in her seat as she waited for her friend to show.

When Bella arrived a few minutes later, she sat down in the seat next to Danielle and turned an expectant look on her. "How did it go?" she asked quietly.

"Good," Danielle said with a nod and a smile. "Like… _weirdly_ good," she added, letting Bella see just how surprised she was that things between her and Jasper had felt so _easy_ and _normal_ that morning. "It's almost like last week never even happened."

"That's a good thing," Bella said encouragingly.

"Yeah," Danielle agreed. "I just hope things _stay_ good, you know?" she said. Because she remembered exactly how scary Jasper could be if the mood caught him, and she did _not_ want to see that Jasper again. She liked friendly Jasper, and she wanted him to stick around.

Bella nodded in understanding.

Danielle glanced around for a moment, then leaned a bit closer to Bella. "Have you seen Edward today?" she asked to change the subject, raising her brows.

Bella gnawed on her lip, then shook her head. "No, not yet. But I don't have any classes with him in the morning, either. I didn't first see him until lunchtime," she explained. Bella hesitated for a moment, then gave her a questioning look. "Did...did Jasper or Emmett mention whether he was back or not?"

Danielle frowned and shook her head. "No, they didn't say anything about him."

Bella looked mildly disappointed. "Oh, okay." Bella sighed then, and gave her a small, nervous smile. "Guess I'll just have to wait and see if he's at lunch," she said. "Though I can't say I'm necessarily looking _forward_ to seeing him," she admitted with a slight frown. "Not after the way he acted last week."

Danielle reached over to pat her arm reassuringly. "Hey, it'll be okay," she said optimistically. "Jasper came around easily enough. I'm sure Edward will, too."

Bella seemed to appreciate her attempts at reassurance, but still didn't look convinced. "Maybe," she said with a shrug.

Spanish went by fairly quickly, which Danielle was kind of happy about. She was ready to get to lunch, mostly because she was hungry, but also partly because she was a little excited to see Jasper again. The same could not be said for Bella, though. The dark haired girl looked nervous as they walked toward the cafeteria, her eyes darting around and her teeth gnawing on her lip to the point that Danielle started to worry she might draw blood.

"Relax," Danielle said, nudging her side. "It'll be fine."

Bella didn't say anything to that, just nodded jerkily.

They finally reached the cafeteria, and as soon as they stepped inside, Danielle's eyes jumped to the table that the Cullen's occupied. Emmett, Rosalie, and the girl with short dark hair, whom she now knew to be named Alice, were there, but Danielle paid them no attention. Her gaze was locked on Jasper, who was staring right back at her. He offered a small smile and a nod of acknowledgement, which Danielle returned happily. She finally pulled her eyes from his, however, when Bella grabbed her arm and let out a tiny gasp.

"That's him," she hissed. "That's Edward."

Danielle frowned with confusion and looked at the table again, forcing herself _not_ to look at Jasper this time around. Lo and behold, there _was_ a fifth person at the table, a guy with bronze-colored hair that she had never seen before. He looked back and forth between Danielle and Jasper for a moment, his face one of interest, before turning his full attention on Bella. Bella instantly turned beet red.

Danielle gave Edward a long, scrutinizing look, then smirked at Bella. "He's pretty cute," she commented with a nod, saying the first thing that came to mind. Bella looked at her incredulously, which made Danielle believe she had said the wrong thing. "What?" she asked, shrugging.

Bella shook her head, then turned to head for the lunch line. Danielle looked at the Cullen table again, her eyes shooting straight to Jasper this time. He wasn't looking at her, though. He had his arms crossed and his eyes were narrowed with what looked like annoyance as he stared at Edward, who was watching Bella walk away. Danielle frowned with confusion before turning to follow Bella, wondering why Jasper was suddenly so irritated with his brother.

They grabbed their food, then went to join the usual group at their usual table. Danielle chose to sit in a seat that allowed her to see Jasper this time around, her heart beating a bit faster when she glanced his way and saw that he had stopped glaring at Edward and was looking at her again. She also noticed that Edward hadn't stopped watching Bella since the moment he had said eyes on her.

"Don't wanna freak you out or anything, but Edward is _definitely_ watching you," she whispered to her friend. Bella nodded, not looking surprised to hear it, and gulped nervously. "He doesn't look angry though," Danielle added quickly. "He just looks kinda…interested." Danielle looked at Edward again, who looked very intent. " _Really_ interested," she corrected herself.

Again, Bella just nodded in response. Her eyes darted over to Edward though, before she flushed a bit and stared down at her food intently.

"So, Danielle," Jessica said to catch her attention. Danielle looked at her and pressed her lips together cautiously when she saw a tell-tale glint in Jessica's eye. "While I was on my way to my second period class, I passed you walking down the hall with a one _Jasper Hale._ And you guys certainly looked pretty… _cozy_ ," she said, wagging her eyebrows.

Danielle tensed. She hadn't noticed Jessica in the hallway when she and Jasper had been going to their English class, but, then again, she hadn't noticed _anyone_ who wasn't Jasper. "All we did was walk to class together," she said dismissively.

Jessica raised a brow. "Jasper Hale doesn't walk _anyone_ to class. In fact, I don't think I've ever even seen him _talk_ to anyone who wasn't in his family," she added.

"So?" Danielle asked.

" _So_ …what's going on there?" Jessica asked nosily. "Give me all the dirt!"

The guys at the table rolled their eyes, but Jessica and Angela looked at her with interest. Danielle glanced at Jasper, who was now talking to his sister, Alice. She thought she saw him shoot a glance in her direction, though. Danielle sighed and gave Jessica a look. "Nothing is going on. We're…friends," she insisted, even though she wasn't sure if he actually considered her a friend or not.

"Oh, come on," Jessica said with a huff. "You have to admit that he's cute. I mean, he's kind of weird and anti-social, and he's certainly no _Edward_ – " Bella tensed next to her at the mention of Jasper's brother. " – but he's not _bad_ looking. Aren't you just a _little bit_ interested?"

Danielle was starting to feel annoyed now, and perhaps even a little bit _defensive_. She didn't like the fact that Jessica was prying into her personal business, and she _really_ didn't like the way Jessica was talking about Jasper. She didn't like the way she was comparing him to Edward and she didn't like the appraising looks she had begun to shoot in his direction, as if she was trying to determine just how cute she really thought he was. In fact, she decided she didn't like Jessica looking at Jasper _period._

Danielle glanced at Jasper again and saw that he was now looking down at the table he sat at, his mouth turned down into a deep frown, as if something was bothering him. It was almost as if he could hear what Jessica was saying, even though she knew it wasn't possible from where he sat.

"I don't think Jasper is _weird_ ," Danielle said with a frown as she jumped to Jasper's defense. "And I don't think it's very nice of you to talk about him like that," she added with a snap, her voice raising some in her sudden irritation. "Haven't you ever heard that if you don't have something nice to say, then you shouldn't say anything at all?"

Everyone at the table was looking at Danielle with surprise, though none looked quite as surprised as Jessica did. Even Bella had taken a moment to stop blushing under Edward's gaze and was looking at Danielle with raised brows.

"Er, I didn't…I wasn't…I didn't mean to – " Jessica stammered out, her cheeks turning bright red. She obviously hadn't expected Danielle to call her out that way, and the fact that she _had_ had clearly thrown her for a loop. "I wasn't trying to be _mean_ ," Jessica finally managed out, looking embarrassed.

"Well, it _was_ mean," Danielle countered without missing a beat.

Jessica looked even more embarrassed as she glanced around at the rest of the people at the table, none of whom looked particularly comfortable with the current situation. "I'm sorry," Jessica said to her timidly. "I shouldn't have said it. I won't do it again."

Danielle just nodded, the hard expression on her face finally easing some now that Jessica had apologized for what she had said about Jasper. An awkward silence fell over the table after that, where Jessica eyed Danielle with wariness, and where the rest of the table looked back and forth between them, clearly waiting to see what would happen next. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Angela – sweet, merciful Angela – cleared her throat and turned to Eric, who was sitting there with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"So, uh, Eric," she said to break the silence. "Read any good books recently?" she asked in a painfully obvious attempt to direct the conversation elsewhere, sounding way more enthusiastic to know than she probably needed to.

Angela and Eric started talking after that, and slowly but surely, everyone else did as well. Danielle couldn't resist shooting one more look in Jasper's direction, and when she did, she saw that he was no longer glaring at the table. He was watching _her_ again and there was a small smirk on his face. And if she wasn't mistaken, he looked quite _pleased_ about something, though she had no idea what that something was. His smirked grew into a smile when their eyes met. Danielle smiled shyly in return, then turned her attention to Angela.

The rest of lunch was, well…pretty uncomfortable. Danielle talked mostly with Angela and Eric, since Bella was too shell-shocked by Edward's return to do anything more than fidget in her chair and glance nervously in his direction every few minutes or so. Mike and Tyler got into a heated debate about sports that lasted for longer than seemed necessary, but Jessica, Danielle noticed, was very subdued for the remainder of the lunch period, only speaking if spoken to and picking at her lunch without much enthusiasm.

When the bell rang, Danielle and Bella said their goodbyes to the group and headed out of the lunchroom together, their next destination being their lockers so they could grab the things they needed for their next respective classes. She tried to sneak another look at Jasper on the way out, but the crowd of students made it hard to spot him and she quickly gave up. Sighing, she followed Bella out of the cafeteria and back out into the hall, shifting the books in her arms around as they navigated their way through their classmates.

"You really stuck it to Jessica back there," Bella commented, apparently relocating her ability to talk now that she wasn't around Edward.

Danielle pressed her lips together. Now that she was thinking about, she wondered if maybe she had been a little too harsh. "Yeah," she said slowly, pulling a face. "I'm not really sure where that came from," she admitted.

And boy, wasn't _that_ the truth. She and Jasper were on good terms right now, yes, and if things continued the same way they had today, it was possible they were on the road to friendship. But why had she gotten so angry when Jessica had started talking about him? Why had she been so ready to defend Jasper? And why had she been so _aggressive_ about it? She was supposed to be taking this whole Jasper situation slow, was supposed to be cautious around him while she got to know him better. So then why had she been so _protective_ of him the moment someone had said something negative about him? It didn't make any sense to her whatsoever.

Danielle sighed and shook her head. She didn't regret sticking up for Jasper, but she did feel a little guilty for being so curt with Jessica. "I should probably apologize to her for getting so snippy," she said as they reached Bella's locker. While Bella opened her locker to retrieve her books, Danielle leaned her back against the locker next door, her head thumping back against the cool metal. "She probably thinks I'm a huge jerk."

Bella shrugged. "She was the one being rude, if you ask me," she pointed out. "But if it makes you feel better, talk things out with her," she added when she saw the uncertain look on Danielle's face. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Guess we'll see," Danielle said with a shrug.

Bella closed her locker, then looked in the direction of her class. She gnawed on her bottom lip, her previous nervousness returning in the blink of an eye. She knew it was because Bella would soon be going to Biology, where she would be face to face with Edward Cullen for the first time since their _own_ rocky first encounter. Danielle pushed away from the lockers and patted Bella's shoulder comfortingly.

"Hey, it'll be okay," she said encouragingly. "I have a good feeling about this."

Bella sucked in a deep breath, released it heavily, then nodded. "I hope so," she said with a jittery smile. "Might as well get this show on the road," she said next, her eyes filling with determination now. "See you at Gym?"

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Yep," she confirmed. "And I wanna hear all about what happens," she said pointedly.

"Hopefully I'll have something _good_ to tell you," Bella countered.

"I hope so, too," Danielle agreed.

Bella started off after that, leaving Danielle to watch her go. "Good luck!" Danielle called after her. Bella turned back to flash a small smile, then continued on. Once she was gone, Danielle went to her locker to grab her Physics book, then she headed off to her own class.

* * *

Danielle had never been a fan of Gym class. It wasn't that she wasn't athletic, because she was in decent shape and usually did pretty well when it came to physical activities. It also wasn't that she didn't like sports, because she actually really _did_ like sports. The main reason she didn't like Gym was because it was just _awkward._ She had to wear clothes she didn't like, get sweaty around people she didn't know, and try to ignore the boys in her class whenever they made comments about her and the other girls as they ran around the gym. All in all, it just wasn't a fun experience, and for as long as she could remember, Gym had been her least favorite class.

Today, however, Danielle practically ran toward the gym once she was out of her Physics class. She was eager to meet up with Bella again so she could hear what had happened with Edward. She had spent her entire Physics class thinking about them, wondering how things were going and hoping that they had been able to reach some sort of common ground, just like she and Jasper had. In fact, she had been so caught up thinking about Bella and Edward that she had actually _stopped_ thinking about Jasper for an entire class period. It was the first time that day that he _hadn't_ been the sole focus of her thoughts.

She hurried into the girl's locker room and was relieved to find Bella already there. Bella had already begun to change, but it was obvious from the look on her face that her mind was a million miles away. Danielle, unsure whether her friend's slightly mystified expression was a good thing or a bad thing, quickly made her way over to Bella's side.

"How'd it go?" Danielle asked eagerly.

Bella blinked, then looked at Danielle with slightly wider eyes, as if surprised by her sudden appearance. She relaxed after a moment though, then shrugged. "It was…interesting," she answered, her brows furrowing. "We talked. And he was really polite."

Danielle instantly felt relieved. "That's good!" she said with a smile.

"Yeah," Bella agreed, though she still seemed a bit disoriented from the whole ordeal.

"What did you talk about?" Danielle pried as she finally opened up her gym locker, which was next to Bella's, and began to change into her gym clothes.

"I asked him why he had been gone, and he said he just had personal stuff to take care of," Bella told her. "Then we just kinda started making small talk and he asked me about my family and stuff like that." Bella shrugged. "He seemed interested in getting to know me, but the whole thing was just kinda… _awkward_."

"Hey, at least you guys talked," Danielle said pointedly. "It's better than the alternative, right?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. It's just…weird. Last week he was acting like he hated me, then suddenly he's talking to me about the stupid _weather_ and asking me a million questions about my life. I have _no_ idea what to make of him," she finally concluded with a defeated heave.

Danielle reached out and patted her shoulder. "Give it some time," she said. "The hard part is over. Now you just have to wait and see what happens from here on out."

Bella sighed and still looked uncertain, but she nodded anyway.

Their gym teacher came around after that and announced that anyone who wasn't in the gym within the next two minutes would get to run laps for the rest of the period. Danielle and Bella shared a wide eyed look, then quickly finished changing into their gym clothes, since neither one particularly wanted to the end the day by running laps for nearly an hour. They then hurried into the gym, squeaking in just before that two minute mark was up. The teacher took one long look at their sheepish expressions, then told them to go join the others and get ready to play some volleyball.

The game went by quickly, and since everyone still seemed to be doing their best to keep the ball _away_ from Bella, there were no injuries sustained this time around. When the bell rang and the school day was over, Danielle and Bella went back to the locker room to change, took a trip to their school lockers to grab what they needed for homework that night, then headed out into the parking lot. It wasn't raining anymore, but it _was_ freezing cold. Danielle shivered at the cold wind that whipped around her the moment she stepped outside, feeling pretty certain that it was getting colder and colder with each passing day. She glanced up at the grey, overcast sky, wondering if it was going to snow sometime soon.

"Danielle!" a voice called behind her, making both Danielle and Bella pause and turn back. Jessica was coming toward them, looking a bit nervous but also very apologetic. When Jessica caught up to them, she shifted her backpack nervously and had a cautious expression on her face, almost as if she was afraid Danielle would snap at her again. "Hey, uh…can we talk real quick?" she asked.

Danielle, who had a feeling she knew what Jessica wanted to talk about, nodded. "Yeah, of course," she said. She then glanced at Bella. Bella flashed a smile at the both of them.

"I'll be at the truck," she said to Danielle, before turning to walk away so that they would have some privacy.

"Look," Jessica said once they were alone. "About what happened earlier…I'm _really_ sorry," she apologized sincerely. "I wasn't trying to talk bad about Jasper and I wasn't trying to offend either one of you. I just…sometimes I don't think about the things I say before I say them," she admitted sheepishly. "I don't want there to be bad blood between us, Danielle."

Danielle sighed, then gave her a small smile. "I don't want there to be bad blood between us either," she admitted. "I actually feel bad for snapping at you the way I did," she then told her with an apologetic cringe. "I didn't like what you said about Jasper and I don't regret defending him, but…I could've handled it a little better than I did. So, I'm sorry for jumping down your throat," Danielle told her.

Jessica quickly shook her head. "No, no. It's fine. I think I was kind of asking for it," she said with a small, self-deprecating laugh. She looked a little more at ease now that she knew Danielle wasn't mad at her anymore. Jessica paused, then smiled. "I'm glad we talked. It was gonna bug me if we didn't," she admitted. Jessica then raised her brows and extended a hand toward her. "Friends?" she asked.

Danielle nodded and shook her hand. "Friends," she confirmed.

"Cool," Jessica said, looking relieved. They released each other's hands after that, then Jessica took a step backward. "Well…I'll see you tomorrow," she said, clearly ready to be on her way.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Danielle said in return.

Jessica smiled, then walked away. Danielle sighed and shook her head once she was alone. She still wasn't the _biggest_ fan of Jessica, but considering the fact that they hung out with the same people on a near daily basis, she was glad they had been able to talk things through. At least now things wouldn't be awkward between them, nor would it be awkward for their friends.

Danielle pushed the conversation with Jessica to the back of her mind and resumed the trek to Bella's truck, ready to meet up with her friend and go home. She only made it a few steps, however, when her eyes landed on a familiar, handsome face, which made her freeze in place.

Jasper was standing about twenty feet away, leaning casually against the red car he and his siblings drove to school, his eyes locked in her. He gave her a half smile when their eyes met, before pushing himself away from the car and starting in her direction. Danielle's heart suddenly began to pound within her chest – was he coming to talk to her? She couldn't help glancing behind her, just to see if there was anything else that might've caught his attention, but she didn't see anything of interest. Danielle looked at him gain, watching as he paused to let a group of giggling freshmen pass by. Jasper then resumed walking in her direction, that small smile still playing on the corner of his mouth. Yes, she decided, he was _definitely_ coming to talk to her.

But then, quite of nowhere, a girl with blonde hair was planting herself in front of Jasper, forcing him to screeching halt. It was Rosalie, and as she crossed her arms and kept herself firmly in Jasper's path, it was obvious her goal was to make sure Jasper couldn't come any closer to Danielle. Danielle frowned, watching as Jasper, who looked unhappy now, exchanged a few quick, heated looking words with his twin. Rosalie didn't look like she was going to back down, though. She poked Jasper in the chest, and even though Danielle couldn't hear what was being said, she could tell that Rosalie was angry.

Jasper finally scowled and held his hands up in defeat. He glanced at Danielle one last time, then turned on his heel and strode back to his car, his shoulders tense with annoyance. A strong sense of disappointment washed over Danielle as she watched him yank open the car door, get inside, then slam it closed behind him. When she could no longer see Jasper, she looked at Rosalie, who was giving Danielle a look over her shoulder. The blonde then turned around with a dramatic flick of her hair before walking to the same car Jasper had just gotten in, her chin held high. Once she was in the car, the engine started up and the car pulled out of the parking space before speeding away.

Danielle heaved and finally started making her way to Bella's truck, frowning pensively to herself. She just didn't understand what exactly it was that Rosalie had against her. Sure, Jasper had said that she was protective and not one to trust easily, but the way she was acting went _beyond_ protective in Danielle's eyes. Rosalie had physically stopped him from coming over to talk to her, as if Danielle carried some deadly virus that might spread to Jasper and, in turn, end up killing the whole Cullen family or something. She seemed to be going above and beyond to try to keep Jasper away from her, and she just couldn't help but think that there was more to it than Rosalie just being _'protective'._

Danielle found Bella leaning against the truck, waiting patiently for her to arrive. She raised her brows at Danielle, who tossed her backpack into the bed of the truck with perhaps a bit more force than was necessary.

"Everything okay?" she asked, clearly sensing something was wrong.

Danielle thought about telling Bella what had happened with Jasper and Rosalie, then changed her mind. She didn't want to talk about it right now. "Yeah, fine," she lied. "Let's go," she then urged, already moving to yank open the door to the passenger side and climb in.

Bella nodded and climbed into the cab, taking her place behind the steering wheel. She looked at Danielle for a moment, as if she knew Danielle was lying and was contemplating pressing the issue further. Thankfully, she decided against it in the end and started up the engine. Without another word, they left school and headed home.

* * *

"Holy guacamole," Danielle said with awe when she stepped out of her house the next morning.

There was snow and ice absolutely _everywhere_. All over the yards, piled on top of the houses and cars, falling from the tree limbs overhead. The news the night before had warned that they would get snow, but Danielle hadn't thought there would be _this_ much of it. She gazed around with astonishment as she stepped down onto the walkway, shivering against the cold, her breath forming little clouds every time she exhaled. She finally looked across the street in time to see Bella exiting her house. Just as Danielle had done, Bella froze with surprise as soon as she caught sight of the snowy landscape, her eyes going wide.

"Can you _believe_ this?" Danielle called as she finally began to make her way across the street, walking slowly and careful so as not to slip on any patches of ice.

Bella stepped down into her driveway and began to tiptoe her way to the truck to avoid as much ice and snow as possible. "Wow," she said. "I haven't seen snow like this since I was a kid!"

Danielle snorted and shook her head, pulling a face as a lump of snow fell from a tree and landed on her shoulder. "Not even gonna lie, this is kinda obnoxious," she complained, brushing away the snow that had fallen on her, shivering when some of it managed to find its way underneath the collar of her coat.

Bella laughed. "Gotta agree with you on that one," she said.

Danielle finally reached Bella's truck, feeling triumphant when she managed to do so without slipping. Her triumphant ended up being short lived, however, when she unexpectedly stepped on a patch of ice that had blended in with the ground.

"Ah!" she cried out as her feet slipped out from underneath her. She reached out and grabbed hold of the truck, clinging on for dear life so that she wouldn't fall butt first onto the frosty road. After a moment or two she managed to steady herself again, though she did not release her hold on the truck, just in case. She then shot a dirty look at Bella, who was laughing at her as she continued her slow trek down the driveway.

"Oh my god!" she said between laughs. "You should see your face right – _ah_!"

Bella suddenly went falling to the ground, her feet flying out from underneath her and her arms flailing about comically as she slipped on a patch of ice right in the middle of the driveway. She landed on the pavement with an _oof_ , her eyes wide with shock, as if she couldn't believe that had just happened. It was Danielle's turn to laugh now.

" _Hah_! That's what you get for laughing at me!" she said with a wag of her finger. "That, my friend, is what we call _karma."_

Bella gave her a grumpy look, then let out a small groan of pain as she began to attempt to stand. Danielle finally stopped laughing as she realized that Bella might actually be hurt and released her hold on the truck, slowly making her way over so she could offer her friend a hand. Bella took it, and with Danielle's help, she was soon on her feet.

"You okay?" Danielle asked with concern, despite the smirk of amusement that still lingered on her lips.

"I think so," she said, rubbing her backside with a wince. She pulled a face, twisting around so she could see the back of her pants. "I look like I wet myself, though," she said, referring to the wet spot on the seat of her pants. "Awesome," she added sarcastically.

"Don't worry about it," Danielle said with a laugh. "I'm sure it'll dry soon."

"I hope so," Bella said with a sigh.

They finally went toward the truck, both of them managing to stay on their feet this time, and climbed into the cab. Once they were en route to school, Danielle kept her hands next to the vents, trying to use the warm air that Bella had turned on to chase away the cold that seemed to seep right down to the bone. She noticed that Bella was driving slower than usual because of all the ice on the road, which she didn't mind – she didn't particularly want to start her day by getting into a wreck.

"I never got to ask," Bella said to break the silence. "How did your talk with Jessica go yesterday?"

Danielle shrugged. "It was fine. She apologized, I apologized…all is well," she said.

"That's good," Bella said. Danielle saw her glance at her from the corner of her eye. "I thought maybe you guys had argued some more," she said with a shrug. "You seemed upset when you came back to the truck."

Danielle frowned, knowing exactly what Bella was referring to. She _had_ been upset, though she hadn't been upset with Jessica. It was Rosalie and her apparent mission to do her very best to keep her and Jasper away from each other that had been bothering her. And though she had been trying very hard not to think about it, it _was_ still bothering her. She just didn't know _why_ Rosalie was so adamant about interfering, and she was worried that if Rosalie interfered enough times that Jasper would give up altogether just to please her. Danielle and Jasper had only just started becoming friends – it would be disappointing if that friendship ended so quickly.

"Danielle?" Bella asked.

Danielle realized she had gotten lost in her own thoughts and shook her head. "I wasn't upset," she fibbed, hoping to avoid the topic of Rosalie for now. "Everything's fine."

Bella gave her a look, then nodded. "Okay, then," she said, not sounding entirely convinced.

"Are you looking forward to seeing Edward today?" Danielle asked after a brief pause, hoping to change the subject.

"In a way? Yes. But at the same time…no," Bella admitted with a sigh. "After all that stupid babbling I did yesterday, he probably thinks I'm an idiot," she added, shaking her head and looking annoyed with herself. "And I'll probably just do something to make an even _bigger_ fool of myself today."

Danielle looked over at her and offered an encouraging smile. "I'm sure he didn't think you were babbling, _or_ that it was stupid. He obviously wanted to know about you, otherwise he wouldn't have asked you anything in the first place," she pointed out. "I think everything will be just fine. Don't beat yourself up about it."

Her words seemed to comfort Bella, because some of the tension left her shoulders. She still looked nervous, though.

Eventually they pulled into the school parking lot, where they quickly discovered that most of the parking spaces were already taken. Bella ended up parking next to the curb on the edge of the lot, which meant that when Danielle got out of the truck, she stepped down onto what should have been grass, but was currently covered in wet, sloshy snow. She pulled a face and hurried around the back end the truck so that she could stand on the pavement of the parking lot. She kicked the snow off her shoes, grumbling under her breath when she felt how wet her socks had already gotten.

"It's official. I hate the snow," she complained to Bella, who had gotten out of the truck and was standing by the hood as she rifled through her bag. "My toes feel like they've turned into little _toe-sicles._ "

Bella quirked a brow. "Toe-sicles?" she repeated unsurely.

"They're frozen, and they certainly aren't _pop_ sicles," Danielle stated matter-of-factly. "Therefore, they are now _toe_ -sicles."

Bella snort with amusement and shook her head. "I think I'm starting to understand why your mom said you weren't normal," she commented jokingly.

"Ha _ha_ ," Danielle responded sarcastically.

Bella suddenly looked at something behind Danielle, her brows raising in what seemed like surprise. She looked back at Danielle, gave her a meaningful look, then pointedly looked back at whatever she had seen. Danielle was sure she was trying to silently convey something to her, but she didn't know what. Frowning, she started to ask Bella what was wrong with her. Before she could, however, a new voice beat her to the punch.

"Good morning, Danielle," said a deep, smooth, very familiar voice.

Danielle whipped around, moving so quickly that she almost slipped on the wet ground. Jasper was standing a few feet away, his backpack hanging from his shoulder and his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He smiled at her politely, his amber eyes locked on her. He looked incredible, and it momentarily rid her of coherent thought.

"Jasper," Danielle said, wondering why she suddenly sounded so breathless. "Hey. How are you?"

Jasper nodded once. "I'm fine, thanks for asking," He said. He glanced at Bella, who was pretending to be interested in the contents of her backpack, but was actually discreetly watching them from the corner of her eye. He looked back to Danielle, then raised his brows. "I was thinking we could walk to class together…if Bella doesn't mind, of course," he added as an afterthought.

She felt instantly happy, her previous worries about whether or not he'd let Rosalie get between them quickly fading away. Danielle looked at Bella, who told her to go with a silent wave. Danielle then smiled at Jasper and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. That'd be great," she quickly agreed.

Jasper seemed pleased that she had said yes. "After you, then," he said, motioning her along with a grand sweep of his arm.

Danielle shifted her backpack on her shoulder, said goodbye to Bella, then started making her way across the parking lot with Jasper. She snuck a look over at him, one hand reaching up to nervously tuck her hair behind her ear. Jasper glanced down at her, the corner if his mouth turning upward. When they'd been around each other the day before, he had seemed cautious and guarded and almost a little bit nervous, but that didn't seem to be the case today. He seemed much more at ease around her, much more relaxed.

"I finished the book," Jasper finally said.

"Already?" Danielle asked in surprise.

Jasper nodded. "I'm a fast reader," he told her.

"Yeah, seems like it," Danielle commented. "So what's the next endeavor then?"

"I was thinking about getting one of those biographies you mentioned," Jasper said, motioning for her to lead the way when their path led them through two cars that had parked very close together, which meant they had to walk single file for a moment.

"Okay," Danielle said, squeezing through the two cars while Jasper trailed behind her. "Just come by the shop this weekend and I'll hook you up," she said, looking back at him with a smile.

Jasper nodded. "Deal."

Danielle grinned, then turned her eyes forward as she finished walking past the two cars. Almost immediately, she spotted the lunch group hanging out by Mike's car, which was only a couple of spaces over. Mike, Angela, Jessica, and Eric were all hanging out before the start of the day, and though they didn't notice her at first, Eric soon looked over and spotted her.

"Danielle! Hey!" he called, waving to her enthusiastically.

Danielle waved back, but didn't make any move to join them as she waited for Jasper to catch up.

"Come here!" Angela called with a smile. "Come hang out!"

But then Jasper was by her side again, and in an instant the group realized they were together. Angela and Jessica shared a look, while the guys stared at the both of them with shock. Danielle looked up at Jasper, who raised his brows at her, then smiled at the group.

"See you guys at lunch," she called.

Angela was the one to respond. "Yeah. See ya," she said.

Danielle and Jasper kept walking, slowly making their way closer to the school. A number of students were staring at them now, most of them whispering to each other as they watched the two pass by. Danielle didn't really care, though. She was far more interested in Jasper and the fact that he was close enough for her to smell that wonderful, piney scent on his clothes again.

"You can go be with your friends if you want to," Jasper told her after a moment or two, his expression a bit difficult to read. "I'd understand if you'd rather be with them."

Danielle immediately shook her head. She wasn't going _anywhere._ "I'm fine right where I am," she reassured him.

Something flashed through Jasper's eyes when she said that, and at the exact same time, she felt a surge of satisfaction within. When the feeling faded she felt a bit dazed, and more than a little confused. She didn't know why, but it seemed that whenever she was around Jasper, her emotions tended to be all over the place. She wasn't sure if she was losing her mind or not, but she did know that this ever-changing whirlwind of emotion was starting to get a little disorienting.

Jasper looked forward, then frowned a bit when he spotted something in the distance. "Let's go this way," he said, motioning for her to veer off to the left.

Danielle looked at him in confusion, but did as he had suggested. Her eyes did a sweep of the parking lot as they walked, searching for whatever had made Jasper want to change direction, until she finally spotted them. Jasper's siblings, all four of them, were hanging out on the far side of the lot, not far from the stairs that led up to the school. Emmett and Alice were looking at her and Jasper with interest, while Rosalie, unsurprisingly, had her arms crossed tightly over her chest and was glaring straight at her. As for Edward, he didn't seem to care that Danielle and Jasper were together. He was staring at something in the distance – when she followed his gaze, she was not surprised to see that he was watching Bella, who was still by her truck on the other side of the lot.

"Any reason we're avoiding your family?" she asked knowingly.

"Several, actually," Jasper answered.

Danielle quirked a brow at the vague answer and started to ask if he cared to elaborate on that one.

But she never got the chance. Because in the next moment, a loud, horrible squealing sound filled the parking lot, bringing everything to a standstill. Danielle and Jasper turned back, both frowning with confusion, but when they saw a van skidding through parking lot, they both quickly realized what the source of the commotion was.

A van had hit a patch of ice and had lost control – the loud squealing sound was the sound of its tired skidding across the wet, icy pavement.

Danielle's heart fell into her stomach, watched with growing alarm as people screamed and ran out of the way of the out of control van, fleeing for safety. It was all happening so fast. Someone was going to get hit. Someone was going to _hurt_. And then Danielle saw what laid in the path of the van. It was headed right toward a red truck parked by the curb on the far side of the lot. It was headed straight for _Bella's_ truck. And Bella, she saw with complete horror, was still there. Standing right by her truck. Watching with terror as the van careened in her direction. Frozen in place.

She was going to be crushed. She was going to be _killed._

"Oh my God," Danielle said, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it might explode through her ribs. She didn't think. She just started running. She couldn't just stand there while her friend died. She had to do _something._ "Bella!" she screamed. " _BELLA!"_

But it was too late. The squealing continued, so loud it was almost deafening. More people screamed as they realized exactly what was about to happen. Then the van collided with Bella's truck with a resounding _BOOM._

* * *

 **Review!**


	5. Chapter Four

**Again, I want to say thank you so much to everyone for the support and your kind words! I'm happy you guys are enjoying everything so far and hope you continue to enjoy it as we move further along in the story!**

 **Also, some people still seem a bit confused, so let me try to clear it up – I wrote this trilogy a very long time ago, but it wasn't written very well. What I'm doing now is keeping the same plot of the original story, but rewriting the dialogue and adding in a ton more detail. So it's essentially the same story at its core, but it's a much, _much_ better version of it now. Hope that explains it!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Four_

Bella was dead. That was the only thought that raced through Danielle's mind as she sprinted through the cars in the school parking lot, just one of many people currently running as fast as they could toward the site of the crash. Bella was dead. She had to be. _No one_ would have survived a collision like that.

She ran until she was about twenty feet away from the wreck, then screeched to a halt when she reached the back of the large cluster of students crowding around the van and truck. Danielle tried to push her way through so she could get closer, tried to find an opening within the mob of teenagers, but everyone else was just as desperate to see what had happened to Bella as she was. Nobody moved, and she realized her attempts to get closer were being ignored.

Growling with frustration and feeling beside herself with concern for her friend, Danielle took a step back and looked around, trying to find another way around the crowd.

But then she saw something that caught her attention. A boy with bronze colored hair, walking away from the site of the crash. He raked a hand through his hair as he looked back at the van that had just hit Bella's truck, then quickly walked away, breathing hard and looking more than a little on edge.

Edward.

But…how could it be? Danielle frowned deeply with confusion, watching as he hurried away, keeping his head down as if purposefully trying not to draw attention to himself. Edward had been on the _other_ side of the parking lot. Danielle knew this with complete certainty because she had seen him with her own two eyes. But now he was _there_ , walking away from the crash. How had he gotten there so fast? How, when Danielle had been closer and running as fast as she could, had he been able to beat her to the crash site? And how had she not seen him running past her?

Danielle looked back to where she had last seen the Cullen's. Emmett, Alice, and Rosalie were not looking at the crashed van – they were watching Edward walk away, their expressions varying from disbelief to anger. Why were they looking at him like that? Then Danielle turned her gaze to Jasper, whom she had forgotten about in her desperate race to get to Bella. He stood rooted to the spot in the exact place she had left him. He didn't seem calm or relaxed anymore. He was looking at her in a way that was impossible to read, his expression completely guarded.

" _She's alive!"_ someone suddenly shouted, drawing Danielle's attention back to the crash. " _Bella's alive!"_

A cheer of relief rose from the crowd at the announcement. Danielle forgot about the Cullen's and pressed a hand to her heart, which was still pounding away in her chest, and closed her eyes as she sucked in a steadying breath. Bella was _alive_. She had survived the crash. She was hit with such an overwhelming sense of relief that she felt her throat tighten with emotion and her eyes prickle with tears.

Danielle finally pulled herself together, then, without even attempting to be polite about it now, she began to push and elbow her way to the front of the crowd, earning herself a few cries of indignation in the process. When she finally reached the center of the commotion she braced herself, not sure what she was going to see but fully expecting find Bella hurt and bleeding. But as soon as she caught sight of her friend, she released a gasp of astonishment. Bella was sitting on the ground between the van and her truck, surrounded by a group of students. And though she looked shaky and confused and like she wasn't quite with it, there wasn't so much as a scratch on her.

Danielle managed to wedge herself between the crowd until she was between the two crashed vehicles. She saw that Mike, Angela, Jessica, and Eric were surrounding Bella, while Tyler, to her surprise, was apologizing to her over and over again through the window of the van that had nearly just killed her, which was obviously _his_ van. He had a gash on his head, but didn't seem to notice.

Danielle began forcing her way through the group that was surrounding Bella. "Bella!" she cried to try to get her attention.

The sound of her voice caught Bella's attention. She looked up, her eyes searching around wildly, until their gazes finally met. "Danielle!" she called back.

Danielle finally reached Bella, and the first thing she did was drop down and wrap her friend up in a vice hug, unable to believe that she was hugging her when she had been convinced that she had been dead mere moments ago. Bella hugged her back just as tightly.

"Are you okay?" Danielle asked, pulling back and holding Bella's shoulders tightly, her eyes searching the dark haired girl for any signs of wounds or bleeding. She didn't see anything, but she was still worried. "Go get help!" she shouted at the nearest person, who just so happened to be Mike.

Mike nodded, then, with Eric in tow, they disappeared into the crowd surrounding the vehicles. Angela and Jessica hung back, looking like they didn't know what to do.

"I'm fine, Danielle," Bella insisted. "The truck didn't hit me."

"I don't care. We're not taking any chances," Danielle countered firmly. When Bella made a move to get up, Danielle immediately stopped her. "Stay still until help gets here," she commanded.

Bella heaved, but nodded.

Once she was satisfied that Bella wasn't going anywhere, Danielle finally looked at the two vehicles they were between. It had looked like the van was going to make full contact with the truck when it had been sliding through the parking lot, but it hadn't. Danielle was shocked to see that it didn't even look like the van had _touched_ Bella's truck, save for the back end of it, which had slammed into the back section of the truck and put a significant dent above the rear tire. She also noticed a dent in the side of the van that was directly in front of where Bella sat, though she had no idea whether it had been there before the crash or not.

"Danielle," Bella said quietly, making Danielle look at her again. "Something happened. Something _impossible,"_ she told her. She glanced back at Jessica and Angela for a quick second, then leaned in even closer. "Edward…he…he _saved_ me. He _stopped_ the van," she hissed.

Danielle frowned with confusion. She had seen Edward by the truck, but she thought he had just been trying to see what was going on. How could he have saved her? And how in the _hell_ would he have been able to stop a moving van? That simply wasn't _possible_.

"What do you _mean_ he stopped the van?" she asked uncertainly.

"He stuck out his hand and he _stopped it,_ so it wouldn't hit me, _"_ Bella said simply, her eyes turning to the dent in the side of the van.

Danielle didn't know what to say. She looked at the dent, then turned a very concerned look on Bella. Maybe she _had_ hurt herself. Maybe she had bumped her head, or maybe the shock of what had happened was making it hard for her to think straight. "Bella, are you sure you're okay?" she asked skeptically. "Did you hit your head or something?"

" _No,"_ Bella said fiercely. "I didn't hit my head!"

"But what you're saying _isn't_ possible," Danielle hissed. "There's _no way_ he could have done that."

Bella just set her lips into a determined frown. "I know what I saw," she said stubbornly.

They didn't get a chance to talk about it any further, because in the next moment a few teachers emerged from the crowd and immediately rushed to Bella's side. They soon instructed Danielle, as well as the rest of the students to back up and move away from the crash. Danielle did as she was told, then went to stand off to the side with the lunch group while the teachers stayed with Bella and Tyler and began checked to make sure they were alright.

It was a blur of activity after that. Paramedics arrived quickly and immediately rushed toward the crash, ready to jump into action if anyone was hurt. Not very long after, a few cop cars arrived on the scene, and within a matter of minutes the cops had set up a perimeter to keep onlooking students out of the way. By now, most of the school had heard what was going on and was crowded in the parking lot as they watched the drama unfold. Danielle continued to stand with the lunch group, watching everything from a distance.

Eventually the paramedics decided that both Bella and Tyler needed further evaluation at the hospital, just to make absolutely sure everything was okay. Tyler agreed without fuss, but Bella insisted that she was fine and that going to the hospital wasn't necessary. Finally, after receiving a long talk from both the principal and the paramedics, she begrudgingly agreed to go and allowed herself to be loaded into an ambulance. Danielle watched the ambulance pull out of the parking lot and head off down the road, sighing heavily to herself.

"Hey," Mike said, touching her arm to grab her attention. "A few of us are gonna head to the hospital to see what the doctors say about Bella and Tyler," he told her. "You wanna come?"

Danielle immediately nodded. "Yeah. I'm in," she readily agreed.

She glanced one last time in the direction the ambulance had gone, then followed Mike, Angela, Jessica, and Eric to Mike's car. When they reached the car, Mike and Eric took the front two seats, while Angela and Jessica slid into the backseat. Danielle started to join the other girls in the back, but paused when her eyes landed on the Cullen's, who were still standing on the far side of the lot. Jasper had rejoined his siblings by their car, and the four of them looked to be in a very heated discussion. Jasper suddenly looked over at her, and for a moment they just stared at one another.

"C'mon, Danielle! Let's go!" Mike said urgently.

Danielle finally pulled her gaze from Jasper's and climbed into the back seat of Mike's car. Then they headed for the hospital.

* * *

Danielle sat in the waiting room of the E.R., her arms crossed tightly over her chest and her foot tapping impatiently against the tile floor. Angela sat on her left, while Mike sat on her right – Eric and Jessica sat in the chairs adjacent to theirs. They had been there for nearly twenty minutes now, and though they had been trying to get at least _some_ information out of any nurse they laid eyes on, they still didn't know what exactly was going on with Bella and Tyler.

Danielle heaved and shifted in her chair, glancing first at the television, which was playing a daytime show she'd never heard of, then letting her eyes wander around the room. Only a few other people were there, obviously waiting for friends or loved ones being tended to beyond the door that the nurses continued to stream in and out of. All of them looked exactly how she felt in that moment – stressed, worried, and ready to get the _hell_ out of this waiting room.

But Danielle was feeling something else, as well. Confusion. Because she kept thinking about what Bella had said, and the more she thought about it, the less sense it made. _Edward stopped the van_ , Bella's voice echoed in her head. _He stuck out his hand and **stopped** it._

No matter which angle she looked at it from, the bottom line was that it just wasn't _possible_. Nobody, not the strongest man in the world and _certainly_ not Edward Cullen, would be able to stop a moving van with their bare hands. The only person _she_ could think of who would be able to pull off something like that was Superman, and though she didn't know Edward well, she'd be willing to bet a very large sum of money that he was _not_ a super-alien from planet Krypton. Maybe he had _protected_ Bella. Maybe he had pulled her out of the way enough to where she _wouldn't_ get crushed. But stop an out of control vehicle with just his hands? There was no freaking way.

Yet, she supposed that brought up a whole new question, didn't it? If Edward _had_ saved Bella, if he _had_ been there to protect her from the van, then how in the _hell_ had he gotten to her so fast? No more than a few seconds could have passed between when she had spotted him with his siblings and when the van had lost control, and the two had been on completely different sides of the parking lot from each other. How had he left his spot with his siblings, run all the way to Bella's truck, and saved her from certain death, all within a few moment's time and all without Danielle _ever_ seeing him?

Danielle heaved, then reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. She had no idea what to make of all this. It didn't make a lick of sense to her, not one bit of it.

"It's alright," Mike said, patting her arm reassuringly, obviously mistaking her confusion for concern. "I'm sure they're fine."

Danielle just forced on a smile and nodded.

The sound of the automatic doors at the entrance of the waiting room sliding open a moment later caught her attention. She glanced over just as a tall man in a police uniform came storming in, looking borderline frantic. Danielle immediately recognized him.

"Chief Swan!" she said, jumping to her feet and hurrying in his direction.

Charlie whipped around to face her, his eyes wild with concern. When he saw her coming toward him, he gulped. "I heard what happened. I got here as fast as I could," he said in a rush. "Bella...is she – ?"

"They're looking at her now," Danielle told him. "But I was with her after it happened. She seemed alright. She didn't look hurt and she was alert," she quickly reassured him. "We've been waiting to hear more, but nobody's told us anything yet," Danielle then concluded.

Charlie seemed relieved to hear it. He let out a massive breath, nodded, then turned to the nearest nurse. "Where's my daughter?" he asked, using his best authoritative cop voice.

A nearby nurse jumped and looked at Charlie with wide eyes, then quickly motioned toward the door that lead further into the E.R. "She's right through there, sir."

Charlie gave Danielle a pat on the shoulder, then went straight through the doors without waiting to be invited. Once he was gone, Danielle sighed and turned back to her friends, who had been watching the scene with interest. Before she had a chance to rejoin them, the cell phone in her pocket began to ring. Danielle reached for it and saw that it was her mother calling.

"I'll be right back, guys," she said to them.

After they nodded, she walked out of the main waiting room and stepped into a hall that branched off to another part of the hospital. There were no other people here, and once she was alone, she answered her phone.

"Hey, Mom," she greeted, leaning back against the white wall of the hallway.

"Why did I just get a call from the school saying that you didn't show up for your first class?" Lynne demanded to know, sounding a little suspicious. "Are you skipping class?"

Danielle winced. "Technically _yes_ , I am skipping," she admitted. Lynne made a sound of indignation. "Before you get mad, just know I wouldn't be doing it unless I had a good reason," she added quickly.

"Oh yeah? And what reason is _that,_ Danielle Katherine Clark? _"_ Lynne shot back, sounding even more annoyed now.

Danielle winced. If her mother was using her full name, that definitely meant she was in trouble. "I'm at the hospital," she told her.

Lynne, who clearly had not been expecting that answer, sputtered on her end of the line. "Wait, _what_?" she asked, sounding scared now. "What happened? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" she asked in a rush.

"I'm fine, Mom," Danielle quickly assured her, which made Lynne breathe easier. "There was an accident at school. Bella had a really close call when a van lost control and almost hit her," she quickly explained. "The paramedics brought her and the other kid involved here to make sure they're okay, so a few of us skipped class and have been waiting to hear what the final diagnosis is."

"Oh dear, I hope they're both okay!" Lynne said with worry.

"Me too," Danielle agreed with a sigh.

Lynne said something else after that, but Danielle didn't pay attention. Because at that exact moment, a door a little further down the hallway, which seemed to be another side entrance to the hospital, opened and someone stepped into sight. It was Edward, and as soon as he saw her standing there, he froze. Danielle frowned. What was he doing here? Had he come to check on Bella too?

"Did you hear me, Dani?" Lynne suddenly demanded in her ear.

"Sorry. What?" Danielle asked distracted, her eyes locked on Edward. She had thought he would go to the waiting room to try to figure out what was going on with Bella, but he hadn't taken so much as a step in that direction. In fact, he was looking back at her with a hint of uncertainty, as if he didn't know if he should stay or not.

"How long are you going to be there for?" Lynne asked.

"I dunno," Danielle answered. "It just depends on how long it takes for them to finish evaluating Bella and Tyler."

"Okay. I'll call the school and let them know what's going on," Lynne told her. "You _are_ going back to school, right?"

"Yeah, just as soon as we're done here," Danielle promised.

"Good."

"Hey, Mom? I should probably go," she said, still watching Edward from a distance. "I wanna be there when they finally release Bella."

"Okay, sweetie," Lynne said understandingly. "I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

Danielle ended the call and shoved the phone back into her pocket. She pushed away from the wall and gave Edward a long look, suddenly feeling the urge to go and try to get _some_ sort of explanation for what had happened at the school. But should she do it? Should she bring it up? Would he even be willing to talk to her about it? After all, they didn't even _know_ each other.

Edward suddenly frowned, then turned on his heel to leave. Danielle made up her mind in a flash and darted after him, determined to speak with him while she had the chance.

"Hey, Cullen!" she called.

Edward stopped with his hand on the door, but he didn't make any move to open it. Danielle jogged to catch up to him, and when she was only a few feet away, he slowly turned back around to face. Danielle stopped once they were face to face, noticing that even though he was giving her a polite smile, it seemed rather forced. "Hello," he greeted. "I don't believe we've met," he then said. "I'm – "

Danielle quirked a brow. "I know who you are," she interrupted. "And _you_ know who _I_ am."

Edward's eyebrows shot up. "Okay," he said slowly. "Is there something I can help you with then?"

She pressed her lips together, unsure where to start. "Is it true?" she asked. "Did you save Bella's life?"

Edward didn't answer at first, but then he shrugged modestly. "I suppose I did," he answered. Danielle nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing some as she stared at him with scrutiny. Edward lifted a brow at her again, his expression puzzled. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked. "Aren't you _glad_ that I saved your friend?"

"Of course I am," Danielle retorted sharply. "But there's a few things about this scenario that don't add up," she continued. "And I'm having a _very_ hard time wrapping my head around it all."

"Like what?" he asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"Well, for starters, you were nowhere _near_ Bella when Tyler's van went out of control," she stated matter-of-factly. "I saw you when Jasper and I were walking across the parking lot. You were on the complete opposite side from where Bella was."

Edward shrugged. "So?"

Danielle felt a surge of impatience. " _So_ ," she said, trying to keep the annoyance out of her tone, "just how the hell did you get from one end of the lot to the other in only a few seconds?" she questioned.

"I'm a fast runner," Edward said simply.

Danielle scoffed. "So am I, but even though I was closer and running as fast as I could, you still beat me there by landslide," she pointed out. "So, I ask again – _how?_ "

Edward sighed and shifted on his feet, his expression beginning to show some impatience. "Look, maybe you _did_ see me on the other side of the lot. But what you _didn't_ see was that I had already started making my way across the parking lot _before_ the van lost control," he revealed with a nod. "I was going to talk to Bella when I saw the van skidding all over the place. I was afraid Bella would be in danger, so I ran to try to help her. Even _I'm_ shocked that I was able to get to her so fast," he insisted.

Edward didn't sound like he was lying, but Danielle still wasn't sure she believed him. Granted, she had paying a lot more attention to Jasper at the time, but she felt like she would have noticed if Edward _had_ decided to go and speak to Bella. And even if what he was saying was true, that didn't change the fact that he had _still_ been pretty far away from her. She just couldn't see how he could have gotten close enough in just a few moment's time to actually make his story possible.

"So then what about what Bella told me you did to save her?" Danielle asked, her arms crossing over her chest defiantly.

Edward's expression turned to one that she couldn't quite decipher. "What did she tell you I did?" he asked calmly.

"She told me you stopped the van," she stated. " _With your hand,"_ she added pointedly.

Edward went quiet for a moment, then he laughed loudly and shook his head. "Come on, Danielle," he said with exasperation. "Stopped a van with my _hand_? Do you even hear yourself right now? How could that possibly be true?"

Danielle _did_ sort of feel a bit silly now that she had said it out loud, but she jutted her chin up regardless, determined to get to the bottom of this. "You tell me."

Edward shook his head again, a smirk of amusement still on his lips. "Danielle. I did _not_ stop a van with my _hand_ ," he said firmly.

"Then why did Bella tell me you did?" she asked.

"She must have been confused," Edward reasoned with a shrug. "When I reached her, I pulled her out of the way as best as I could and threw a hand up out of reflex. It all happened really fast and it was all very confusing – maybe she just mistook my actions for something they weren't," he explained.

It made sense, she supposed, but it still didn't answer the one glaring question left. "So then how did the van not crush her?" she asked. "I saw the way it was moving. It was sliding sideways and looked like it was going to completely connect with the truck," she told him. "But when I saw the van afterward, only _part_ of it had hit the truck. It looked like something – or _someone_ – stopped it right in its tracks."

Edward sighed now, as if he was getting tired of explaining himself. "I thought it was going to be a full on hit, too, but it changed directions at the last second," Edward told her. "Only the back end hit it, which is why _neither_ of us got crushed. Had we been a few feet over, well…this whole thing would have ended quite differently," he said with a frown.

Danielle gave him a long look as she considered everything he had told her. He'd had answers for every single one of her questions, and though there were maybe a few details that still didn't quite make sense, she supposed there was no choice but to accept that Edward was telling her the truth. Maybe Edward _had_ been on his way to talk to Bella, only she'd been so distracted by Jasper that she hadn't seen him. Maybe he _was_ a ridiculously fast runner. Maybe when Bella saw Edward throw his hand up out if reflex it had made her believe she was seeing something that she wasn't. And maybe Bella was wrong – Edward hadn't stopped the van, the van had merely hit the truck in just the right way that it stopped before it could hurt Bella, just as Edward had told her.

It was a whole lot of maybes. But it made a heck of a lot more sense than the _other_ option, the other option being that Edward was a super human who possessed the powers of both super speed and super strength.

Danielle finally sighed and gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry for the twenty questions," she finally said. "I didn't mean to come off as rude or anything. I was just…"

Danielle trailed off and shrugged, but Edward still seemed to understand what she was trying to say. He nodded and flashed a small smile. "You're worried about your friend and want to know what happened. I get it," he said understandingly.

Danielle smiled, feeling relieved that he wasn't put off by her behavior. "Let's try this again," she suggested, before extending her hand toward him. "I'm Danielle Clark."

Edward shook her hand. It was ice cold, just like Jasper's and just like Emmett's. She momentarily thought it odd that they all had such cold hands, but then she remembered that Forks was freezing cold and quickly chalked their chilly hands up to the local temperature. "Edward Cullen," he introduced himself. "I've heard a lot about you. It's nice to finally meet you in person."

Danielle's eyebrows shot up. Who had been talking about her with Edward? "You've heard about me? From who?" she had to ask.

Edward had a little smirk playing at the corner of his mouth as he shrugged. "People around school…and from my brother," he told her, that smirk never budging an inch.

Danielle tried to ignore the way her stomach flipped at the word _'brother'_. Was it Emmett he was referring to, or was it Jasper? The thought that Jasper would be talking about her with his brother made her heart beat just a tick faster. It also made her _desperately_ want to know what he had said, and whether or not it had been good.

Edward's smirk grew as those thoughts flew through her head, though she wasn't sure why. She perked up as he opened his mouth to say something else, hoping very much that he was going to elaborate on what he had just said. Before he could get another word out, however, the door that Edward had entered through opened again to reveal another Cullen. Danielle stiffened at once. It was Rosalie, and the beautiful blonde gave her a glare of dislike before turning a look on Edward.

"What's going on here?" she asked. Her voice might have sounded pretty, if not for the anger and suspicion in her tone.

"Nothing," Edward answered smoothly. "We were just…talking."

Danielle eyed the two, feeling more and more uncomfortable with each passing second. Finally she decided it was probably time to return to her friends in the waiting room.

"I think I'm, uh…gonna go now," she said, eyeing Rosalie with obvious wariness. "I'll see you around."

She didn't wait for Edward to say anything back before quickly turning on her heel and heading back for the waiting room. She could feel eyes on her back the entire way, and when she chanced a look over her shoulder, she was not at all surprised that both Edward and Rosalie were watching her walk away. Just before she reentered the waiting room, she saw Rosalie turn on Edward with a scowl that would have made anyone quiver in their shoes. Danielle gulped and shook her head, before quickening her pace.

Rosalie was one scary chick, she decided. And though she felt bad for Edward for having to endure whatever wrath she looked like she was about to unleash on him, Danielle was glad as all hell that _she_ wasn't the one in his shoes right then.

* * *

Danielle and her friends loitered around in the waiting room for nearly another half hour while they continued to wait for news on Bella and Tyler. Despite the fact that he was there in the hospital, Edward never actually came into the waiting room. Whether that was because he didn't want to draw attention to himself or because Rosalie was still giving him an earful, Danielle didn't know – either way, she chose not to mention the fact that he was there to any of her friends.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Bella and her father emerged from the patient area. The moment Bella was in sight the group jumped up and rushed over to find out what the doctor had said. They were quickly informed that though Bella was still shaken up and Tyler had sustained a few bumps and cuts, the doctor had not found anything significantly wrong with either of them. They were both fine to leave the hospital and go on with their day. It was a relief, to say the least, and they all took turns hugging Bella as they celebrated the fact that nobody hadn't been seriously injured in the accident.

Bella's father eventually broke up the celebration, telling them politely, yet _firmly_ , that he needed to get Bella home and that they all needed to get back to school. Apparently even though Bella was uninjured, her near-death experience had earned her a day of rest at home. Danielle and the group nodded their understanding, said their goodbye's, then finally left the hospital so that they could go back to school.

They were back at Forks High just as second period was ending. Danielle hurried to her locker, grabbed her books for her next two classes, then continued on to her third period history class. Emmett sat straighter when she walked in, watching her with expectant eyes as she made her way to her seat. As soon as she sat down, he leaned closer to speak to her.

"How's Bella?" he asked. She noticed that he wasn't the only one who seemed curious to know, either – several students sitting nearby turned to look as well, eager for any news about the accident.

"She's fine," Danielle answered with a nod. "Tyler, too. They both went home for the day, though."

Emmett nodded in understanding, while the other students listening in turned forward again, obviously no longer interested in what she had to say now that they'd heard that Bella and Tyler were fine. "That's good. That wreck, man…it was crazy," he commented with a shake of his head and a low whistle.

"I know," Danielle agreed. "Lucky your brother was able to help," she added with a nod.

Emmett gave her a long look after she said that. "You saw Edward save Bella?" he asked quietly, his tone rather neutral.

Danielle shrugged. "Well, I mean…I didn't see it for myself because I was too far away. But I talked to Edward at the hospital and got the story of what happened," she told him with a nod.

Emmett's brows raised a hair. "You talked to Edward?" he asked, sounding a bit surprised.

Danielle frowned a bit. Why was Emmett acting so odd? "Yeah. Is that…a bad thing?" she asked unsurely.

"No," Emmett said at once. "What did Edward say about the wreck?" he then asked.

Danielle _could_ have told him about the weird things Bella had said, and she _could_ have told him about all the crazy questions she'd peppered Edward with. But, in the end, she decided not to. She'd already made herself look weird in front of _one_ Cullen today, and she didn't particularly want to do it again.

"He said he was already going to talk to Bella when Tyler's van lost control. He ran over as fast as he could to help her and tried to pull her away once he was close enough. With the way the van hit the truck, it only barely missed her. If Edward hadn't pulled her out of the way, she probably would've been in serious trouble," she relayed, shaking her head as she thought about the _way_ too close call. "So like I said. It's a good thing your brother was able to get to her."

Emmett nodded, then smirked, looking a bit more like his usual self now. "Edward always was a really fast runner," he said with a nod. "We always told him he should've trained for the Olympics." Danielle smiled at that. Emmett's smirk turned into a small smile after that. "I'm glad your friends aren't hurt," he told her seriously. "And I'm _really_ glad that you were with Jasper when the van hit, and _not_ with Bella," he admitted.

Danielle smiled, then sighed a bit as she thought about Jasper. She hadn't meant to just run off without saying anything to him, but it had been a chaotic moment and she hadn't really been thinking straight. "I hope he isn't upset with me for ditching him," she said.

Emmett immediately shook his head. "He's not, trust me," he said reassuringly.

Danielle just nodded and gave him a grateful smile.

History passed quickly, and once the class was over, she said goodbye to Emmett and continued on to Spanish. When she reached the classroom and slid into her usual seat, her eyes immediately turned to the empty desk next to her. It was weird, being here now while Bella was at home trying to get over the shock of her near death experience. Danielle frowned and sighed heavily, then opened her textbook when the bell rang and the teacher started the lesson for the day. She decided right then and there that she was going to go and speak to Bella after school, just to check in with her and make sure she was doing alright.

Before she knew it, it was lunchtime. When she walked into the cafeteria, she habitually looked toward the table that the Cullen's always sat at. Neither Edward, nor Rosalie, was there, but Jasper, Emmett, and Alice were. Almost as if he could sense that she had arrived, Jasper immediately looked in her direction. Danielle smiled at him and waved, then started toward the lunch line, just as she usually did.

But then she stopped. Because Jasper, who normally stayed seated at his usual table with his siblings, was getting up. He grabbed his things, said a few words to Emmett and Alice, then started walking toward her. Danielle blinked in surprise, then quickly tucked her hair behind her ear as butterflies began to flap around in her belly. Jasper gave her a half-smile as he approached, which just made her blush and smile bashfully in return.

"Hello," he said once he was standing in front of her.

"Hey," she said back.

"How are you?" Jasper asked, his eyes searching her face. "Are you alright?" he asked next.

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," she told him. "It was a stressful morning, but…it's all good now."

"Good," Jasper said, nodding. "I heard Bella and Tyler are both okay," he said. "I was glad to hear it."

"Yeah, me too," Danielle agreed. She paused, then frowned with apology. "I'm sorry I ditched you this morning," she apologized, and she really, truly meant it. "I just…everything happened so fast, and the Bella thing scared me half to death," she quickly explained.

Jasper held up a hand to silence her. "It's fine, Danielle," he said. The sound of her name on his lips made her nerves zing with awareness. "You were worried about your friends. I completely understand," he said with a small smile.

Even though Emmett had told her that he didn't think Jasper would upset, to hear Jasper confirm it himself made her breathe much easier. "Thank you for understanding."

Jasper nodded. "Of course." He looked at her for a moment, then glanced pointedly toward the lunch line. "Were you going to get food?" he asked.

Danielle remembered what she had originally been doing, then nodded. "Yeah, I was." She looked at him, noticed his lack of lunch, then tilted her head curiously. "It doesn't look like you've eaten either," she commented. "Do you wanna go grab a bite?"

Jasper thought about it for a second, then nodded. "Sure."

Danielle smiled, then, together, they headed for the lunch line. When they got in line, Danielle noticed that they were standing behind two girls who looked like they might have been freshmen. Both of them glanced at her, glanced at Jasper, then did a double take and gave Jasper a _much_ longer look. Though Jasper didn't seem to notice – or maybe he did notice, but just didn't care – Danielle couldn't help but quirk a brow at both of the girls. They were eyeing him like he was a piece of meat, and she didn't like it one bit.

"So," Jasper said, drawing her attention back to him. "Since you missed first and second period, I went ahead and took some notes for you," he said, shuffling through his things for a second until he could pull out a few papers from one of his folders.

Danielle forgot all about the girls who had been eyeing Jasper and gaped at him as he handed the papers to her. "You took notes for me?" she asked, dumbfounded. Jasper nodded in confirmation. "Wow. Thank you, Jasper," she said, smiling brightly. When he just waved her off, as if to say it was nothing, she shook her head. "No, seriously. Thank you. That's a huge help," she insisted.

Jasper finally smiled. She thought he looked a bit pleased with himself. "You're welcome."

Danielle glanced over the notes, noting how neat and tidy his handwriting was, then shoved the notes into one of her folders. "Did I miss anything important?" she asked.

"Not really," he said with a shrug. "We do have a test in Calculus on Friday, though."

Danielle couldn't help but groan with dread, which earned her a questioning look from Jasper. "I hate math," she told him. "It's always been my worst subject, and it will always _be_ my worst subject. It doesn't help that I'm behind in the school work, either, since I've only been here a few days," she added. "If I want any hope of passing this test, I'm gonna have to study my rear end off," she said.

Jasper made a thoughtful sound at that, his brows furrowing pensively. They moved forward in line, silence falling between them for a few seconds. Finally, Jasper seemed to come to a decision about something. "Well, as it so happens, I'm _very_ good at Calculus," he told her. "If you need someone to tutor you or help you study for the test, I could do it," he offered.

Danielle was caught completely off guard by Jasper's offer to help tutor her. She blinked at him, then immediately felt her heart jump at the thought of spending extra time with him. And one on one, no less. "You would do that?" she asked, just to make sure she had heard him right.

Jasper nodded and gave her another half-smile. "Yes, I would."

"Okay," Danielle agreed. "When should we study then?"

"Why not start today? During lunch?" he suggested. "We could go over what you missed in class. I could catch you up on what we were working on before you came to Forks, too." But then he paused and frowned, his eyes glancing toward the table she usually sat at. "Unless you'd rather eat with your friends. It can wait, if you want," he said, giving her a window to say no if she wasn't feeling up for it.

The thought of having lunch with Jasper – _just_ Jasper – was too appealing to refuse. "I'm fine with studying during lunch," she told him quickly. "I don't have my book, though."

"That's okay. I still have mine," he reassured her, motioning to the textbooks he held with his right arm.

Danielle smiled and nodded, then turned forward again as they continued further up the line. She couldn't help but think that this day was beginning to take a turn for the better.

She and Jasper made their way through the lunch line, grabbing two trays once they were at the front and then picking out food to have for lunch. When they passed the fruit section, Danielle started to reach for an apple that caught her eye. Jasper seemed to have the same idea, though, because he reached for it at the exact same time. Their fingers brushed together, catching them both by surprise. Danielle looked at Jasper and blushed, while he just pressed his lips together, his eyes locked on her. He then pulled his hand back, before motioning for her take the apple. Still blushing, Danielle put the apple on her tray and continued on.

After they paid for their food, they took a moment to look for an empty table. They finally found one in the corner and quickly went to claim it. As they set their books and their trays on the table and sat down next to each other, Danielle noticed that just about every single person in the cafeteria was staring at them in shock. Even Emmett and Alice looked at their brother in surprise, before sharing a meaningful look with each other.

It was easy to ignore the staring once Jasper opened up his text book and started going over what they had learned in class that day. It was not easy, however, to completely focus on what Jasper was telling her. She found herself focusing more just on Jasper himself. She liked the smooth, soothing tenor of his voice. She liked how the green button-down shirt he was wearing made his amber colored eyes pop even more than usual. And she _really_ liked the serious, studious expression on his face as he went over the day's lesson. He was already insanely gorgeous, but good Lord did he look even _more_ attractive when he was concentrating on something.

Jasper eventually looked at her and raised his brows, as if he could tell she wasn't paying as much attention as she should've been. Danielle managed to pull herself together after that and forced herself to focus on what Jasper was actually trying to teach her – she needed to learn what would be on the test, and she couldn't learn if she was focusing on how good Jasper looked instead of the school work, could she? She followed along with him, working on problems from the book and asking questions here or there. To her relief, he was very patient and explained anything she didn't understand, and he _didn't_ make her feel like an idiot if she didn't get things on the first try.

She was so focused on what they were doing that she didn't realize how much time had passed. When the bell rang overhead, she looked around in surprise before sighing and giving Jasper a smile.

"Guess that concludes the lesson for the day," she said.

Jasper nodded. "Guess so."

They both collected their things, then stood up to throw their trash away. When Danielle saw Jasper's tray, however, she frowned. "You barely touched your food," she said, looking at his practically full tray. Suddenly she felt guilty – he'd been so busy tutoring her that he hadn't really had time to eat.

"Don't worry about it," Jasper said, and as if someone had switched a lever, her guilt melted away. "I had a huge breakfast, so I wasn't that hungry anyway."

Danielle pursed her lips, then shrugged. "Alright, if you say so."

They carried their trays to the trashcans and dumped them, though Jasper kept his apple when Danielle insisted he keep it for a snack in case he got hungry later on. After that they left the cafeteria, and though she had thought he might say goodbye and head off to his own class, he walked with her all the way to her locker. Danielle didn't mind one bit.

"What do you have next?" he asked curiously as she rifled around in her locker.

"Physics," she answered. "You?"

"History," he answered.

Danielle nodded.

Jasper looked at her for a moment, then turned his head curiously. "I was wondering…how do you plan to get home?" he asked.

Danielle frowned at once. It hadn't really clicked until that moment that she didn't have a ride home. Bella had gone home with her father, and since Bella's truck hadn't been in the parking lot when she had come back from the hospital, Danielle could only assume that it had been towed back to the Swan house.

"Actually…I don't know," she admitted. "It's too far and too cold to walk home, but I'd hate to burden someone else by asking for a ride," she mused aloud. She thought about it for a moment, then snapped her fingers. "You know what? I'll probably just walk to my mom's bookshop," Danielle told him with a nod. "It's not that far from here. I can just hang out there until the shop closes and go home with her."

Jasper nodded, then reached up to rub the back of his neck for a moment. He looked nervous all of a sudden. "Maybe I can walk with you," he offered. "If you don't mind the company, that is," he added quickly.

Danielle blinked at him, finding herself thrown for a loop once again. First Jasper had approached her before school, then he'd taken notes for her and tutored during lunch, and now he wanted to walk her to her mother's bookshop? She wasn't entirely sure why he was going out of his way to spend so much time with her today, but she certainly wasn't going to complain about it. The more time she spent around Jasper, the more she _liked_ being around him.

"Are you sure? I mean…you don't _have_ to," she found herself saying. _Idiot!,_ she scolded herself internally. _Why didn't you just say **yes**?_

"I know I don't _have_ to," Jasper said. "But I _want_ to," he told her seriously, his gaze holding hers intently.

The way he was looking at her made her breath catch in her throat. It took a second, but she finally managed to get her voice to work again. "Yeah, okay. That would be nice."

Jasper smiled and nodded, looking pleased that she had said yes. "I'll meet you in the parking lot after school then."

Danielle nodded. "Yeah, see you then."

Jasper gave her one last little smile, then finally left. Danielle watched him go before releasing the breath she had been holding and smiling to herself.

* * *

Because she was looking forward to seeing Jasper again after school, her last two classes seemed to drag by extra slow. She began to feel so anxious and so frustrated that she had a hard time focusing on much of anything. When the final bell _finally_ rang, she all but sang with relief and then quickly hurried to meet with Jasper.

He was waiting for her in the parking lot, just as he had said he would. He had been leaning against a tree next to the lot, but quickly straightened to his full height when he caught sight of her.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yep," Danielle confirmed.

With that they left the school behind, walking side by side as they started toward her mother's bookshop. It was a silent walk at first – Danielle simply didn't know what to say to him, and Jasper didn't seem to be in a rush to be the one to break the ice. Finally, when she couldn't stand the silence anymore, she smiled up at him.

"Thank you again for helping me out with calculus," she said. "It was really nice of you."

Jasper inclined his head to her. "You're welcome," he said. "Just so you know, that _wasn't_ just a one-time offer," he told her. "If you need help, all you need to do is ask."

Danielle nodded in understanding. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

Silence fell between them again after that. They ambled along, Danielle glancing at him every so often and having to resist the urge to blush whenever she caught him doing the same. When they had to pause at an intersection to let some cars pass by, a particularly strong wind whipped past them, making Danielle instantly shiver. It wasn't as freezing as it had been that morning, but it was _still_ pretty darn cold. There was still snow visible in the trees and on the ground, and certain parts of the roads and walkways had spots that looked to still be covered in ice.

Jasper saw her shiver and frowned. "Cold?" he asked.

Danielle shrugged sheepishly. "A bit."

He nodded, then, without saying a word, he took off his schoolbag so that he could remove the winter jacket he wore. To Danielle's immense surprise, he stepped right up to her and placed the jacket on her shoulders, so that it hung around her like a cape. It wasn't as warm as she had thought it might be considering he had just been wearing it, but the extra layer protected her from the wind and instantly made her feel warmer. It smelled just like him, too, which was a _huge_ bonus.

"You won't get cold?" she asked, selfishly hoping he would say no so that she wouldn't have to give him his jacket back just yet.

Jasper waved off her question nonchalantly and shook his head. "No," he said as he fixed the strap of his schoolbag on his shoulder again. "Don't worry about me. I'm so used to the cold now that it doesn't bother me."

Danielle smiled and nodded her understanding. "Well…thank you."

"You're welcome."

They crossed the road once the cars finished going by. Danielle held Jasper's jacket around herself, liking how big it was on her and thoroughly enjoying that wonderful piney scent surrounding her. "It seems you've still got the ' _southern gentleman'_ gene in you," she commented with a smile.

Jasper smirked and shrugged. "You know what they say. You can take the man out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the man."

Danielle laughed. "Spoken like a true Texan," she joked, which made Jasper smile with amusement. Danielle looked up at him for a moment, then tilted her head curiously. "Do you miss it?" she asked.

"Texas?" Jasper asked. Danielle nodded. He thought about it, then shrugged. "Sometimes I do," he admitted. "But to be honest, when I was in Texas I wasn't in the greatest…situation," he told her, his lips pulling into a tiny frown. He seemed to reflect on something for a moment, then shook his head, as if clearing his thoughts. "The day my parents, Carlisle and Esme, took me in, my life took a drastic change for the better," he told her with a nod. "I might miss the south every now and again, but…I'm happier here. I'm where I'm meant to be now," he concluded.

"Your parents must be very special people," she said with a gentle smile.

Jasper nodded, a fond look entering his eye. "They are," he confirmed.

Danielle started to ask him more about his adoptive parents, but just as she opened her mouth to speak, her foot unexpectedly slipped on a patch of ice that she hadn't noticed. She made a sound of surprise as she lost her balance and started to fall to the ground, her arms flailing wildly in an attempt to try to regain her balance and stay on her feet. Luckily, Jasper was with her. He quickly turned and grabbed both of her arms, holding her steady so that she wouldn't fall to the icy pavement below.

Danielle felt her breath catch in her throat again. They stood face to face, separated only by half a foot or so. His hands were holding her securely by the arms, but unlike that first encounter, his grip was not tight enough to hurt or bruise. Danielle gazed up into his amber colored eyes, electricity shooting through her arms at his touch even despite the fact that she had on multiple layers of clothing. She couldn't tell what the expression on his face meant, but as his eyes searching her face, her heart began to thump a bit harder underneath her ribs. It had been frightening, the last time they had been close to one another like this. But right now, Danielle was _far_ from frightened.

Jasper finally blinked, then gave her a small smile and released her. "You're alright?" he asked, his voice perfectly neutral.

Danielle nodded jerkily and cleared her throat. "Yeah, I'm good. Thanks."

Jasper nodded, and with that they started walking again. The silence that hung around them felt a bit awkward now, and for a few moments, Danielle struggled to come up with something to say to break the ice again. Finally, she readjusted Jasper's jacket and pulled it tightly around herself again, her eyes turning down to her sneakers with dismay.

"I'm _so_ not equipped to deal with weather like this," she commented, shaking her head. "We don't get snow and ice like this down in Houston. This is all new territory for me." She sighed, then laughed a bit. "I have to admit…so far, I'm not really a fan of it."

"You'll get used to it," Jasper reassured her. "Besides, this isn't really even all that bad," he started with a smirk. "This sort of weather is pretty mild compared to where I used to live."

Danielle looked at him curiously. "Where did you _use_ to live?" she asked.

"Alaska," he answered, which made her brows shoot upward.

"Wow," Danielle said with amazement. "I've always wanted to go to Alaska," she admitted. "I always thought it would be so cool up there."

"If by _cool_ you mean absolutely _freezing_ , then yes, it is," Jasper joked, which made Danielle smile in amusement. "It _is_ a beautiful place, though," he told her with a nod.

"Were you sad when you had to leave Alaska and come here?" she asked him next.

Jasper pursed his lips, then shook his head. "Not really," he said. "I didn't really feel attached to Alaska, and I didn't really have any friends, either. So when we left, I didn't feel like I was losing anything important," he explained.

Danielle frowned at hearing that. She knew from word of mouth that Jasper – or _any_ of the Cullen's for that matter – didn't have any friends here in Forks, but it seemed even stranger that he hadn't had any in Alaska, either. Why was he incapable of making friends? Was there something to it, or did Jasper simply not have any _interest_ in making friends?

"Can I ask you something personal?" she asked before she lost her nerve. Jasper quirked a brow at her, but nodded. "Why don't you have any friends here in Forks?"

Jasper didn't seem like he knew how to answer for a moment. Finally, he sighed. "I think part of the reason is because people around here tend to keep their distance from us Cullen's. Everyone seems to think the worst of my family. They say we're weird and stuck up and that we think we're too good to be friends with anyone" he said, giving her a knowing look. "I'm sure you've heard at least _one_ person say something like that since you came here," he stated pointedly.

Danielle cringed, but nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, I have," she told him. "Sorry," she said quickly, feeling the need to apologize for the things people said about him and his family.

Jasper just smiled wryly, then shrugged. "It's fine. I'm used to it." Jasper went quiet as they continued along, then looked down at her again. "My lack of friends isn't all just because of that, though," he continued. "If I'm being perfectly honest, I've always been hesitant to get too close to anyone," he told her honestly. "Maybe it's because of the way I grew up or maybe it's just a self-preservation thing. Either way, it always just seemed like a better idea not to get too friendly with anyone."

Danielle frowned with slight confusion now. "So then why have you been hanging out with _me_?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Jasper looked at her in surprise, as if he hadn't been expecting her to ask him that. Danielle flushed at once, cursing herself internally for not keeping her big mouth shut. "The truth?" Jasper asked after a moment of hesitation. "You're the first person I've met who actually treats me like I'm… _normal_ ," he admitted. "I enjoy being around you, Danielle," he told her.

Butterflies erupted in her stomach. "Y-you do?" she asked dumbly.

Jasper nodded. "You're genuine, you're nice, and you actually _talk_ to me," he said. "You even defended me when other people said things behind my back, too, which is practically unheard of," he added with a knowing look.

Danielle blushed fiercely, knowing exactly what he was referring to. "You heard about what happened between me and Jessica?"

Jasper smirked and nodded. "It's a small school," he reminded her. "Gossip makes the rounds pretty quick."

Danielle couldn't decide if she should feel embarrassed or not. "She shouldn't have talked about you like that," she finally said with a shrug. "She was judging you without even _knowing_ you. I wasn't just gonna sit there and let her keep saying mean things about you."

Jasper smiled at her. She could see the appreciation in his eyes. "No one's ever stuck up for me like that, Danielle," he told her. "I'm grateful to you for defending me." Jasper frowned then, his eyes turning elsewhere. "Though if you ask me, I don't deserve it. Not after the way I treated you when we first met."

Danielle gave him a sharp look at that. "Hey," she said to make him look back at her. "We already talked about that, remember? I forgave you. And I _still_ forgive you," she insisted. "So stop beating yourself up about it. It's in the past now."

Jasper smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Alright," he said, though the way he said it hinted that he would _never_ let himself forget what had happened that day.

Their conversation lulled after that, but the silence that surrounded them was not awkward anymore. It was comfortable and relaxed, and as Danielle caught his eye and they shared a quick smiled, she felt something shift between them. It felt like they'd come to some sort of understanding about each other, and about where this road they had embarked on together was headed. Right now, in this moment, she was completely certain that they had just become friends.

She couldn't help the strong feelings of disappointment that flooded her when they turned a corner and her mother's bookshop came into view. Danielle sighed heavily, already dreading the moment that she would have to say goodbye to Jasper. When she chanced a look up at him, he didn't look too thrilled to see the shop, either.

"Well, this is my stop," she said as they reached the store and came to a halt just outside the front door. "Thank you for walking with me. It was really nice."

Jasper nodded. "Yes, it was."

They stared at each other for a moment, until Danielle finally shrugged off Jasper's coat and handed it back to him. He accepted it with a nod, but didn't move to put it back on right away. "How will you get home?" Danielle asked curiously, unsure if she really wanted to know or if she was just trying to make him hang around a few seconds longer.

Jasper shrugged. "I'll walk," he told her. "It's not that far of a trip to my house from here. I'll manage just fine."

"Are you sure?" Danielle asked uncertainly. "I could borrow my mom's car and drive you home," she then offered. "It wouldn't be any trouble for me, and it'd be a lot faster than walking."

Jasper actually considered the offer for a second, but then finally shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but I'll be fine," he insisted.

"Okay," Danielle said, trying very hard to keep the disappointment out of her tone. "I'll see you tomorrow, then," she finally told him.

Jasper nodded. "You will," he confirmed. "Have a good night, Danielle."

"You, too," she said.

Jasper gave her one last smile, then, with just the tiniest hint of reluctance, he turned and began to walk away. Danielle wrapped her arms around herself and watched him go, sighing quietly to herself. Then, finally, she went into her mother's bookshop.

* * *

Danielle was in a ridiculously good mood after that. She stayed at her mother's bookshop until close, working on her homework at first, then helping out around the store once she was finished. Lynne, who could read Danielle like an open book, had noticed the extra bounce in her step and kept asking just what exactly had put her in such a great mood. Danielle, who wasn't quite ready to tell her mother that _Jasper_ was the reason for her surge of happiness, just came up with whatever excuse sounded best to get her mother to stop asking.

By seven thirty that night, the sun had gone down and they were pulling into the driveway. Danielle stepped out of the car and automatically looked at the Swan house, noticing first that Bella's truck had indeed been towed back and was parked in its usual spot, then noticing next that both Charlie and Bella appeared to be home, since all of the windows in the house were lit up. She thought about her earlier decision to check on Bella and turned to her mother, who was already making her way up to the house.

"Hey, Mom?" she called to make Lynne look back at her. "I'm gonna go check in on Bella for a second. I've been really worried about her."

"Okay, sweetie," Lynne said with a nod of understanding. "But don't stay too long. We'll be eating dinner soon."

Danielle nodded, and with that she started across the street, shivering against the cold wind as it beat against her face and swirled around her. Picking up the pace, she hurried up to the front door of Bella's house and knocked twice, before taking a step back and waiting patiently for someone to answer the door. After waiting for just a few seconds, the front door opened to reveal Charlie.

"Oh, hello, Danielle," he greeted with a small smile, not looking _too_ surprised to see her standing on his front door step.

"Hi, Chief Swan," she said with a respectful nod. "I'm sorry to drop by unexpectedly, but I wanted to come and see how Bella was doing," she explained.

"She's doing alright," Charlie told her. "Still a bit shaken up over everything, I think, but doing well enough." He paused, then raised his brows. "Would you like to come in and talk to her?"

Danielle nodded at once. "That'd be great."

Charlie stepped aside and motioned for her to come in. Danielle stepped into the warmth of the Swan house, relieved to get out of the cold, then glanced around curiously as she searched for Bella. "She's upstairs in her room," Charlie told her. "Go ahead and go up."

"Alright. Thanks," she told him with a smile.

While Charlie went back into the living room, Danielle went upstairs to the second floor. Once she was upstairs, it wasn't hard to figure out which room was Bella's. There was a door at the end of the hall that was shut, but she could hear music on the other side, the same music that she and Bella frequently listened to whenever they drove to school. Danielle went to the door, then knocked to catch Bella's attention.

She heard footsteps approaching the door from the other side. When Bella yanked the door open, she looked frustrated. "Dad, I've told you. I'm _fine_ ," she said immediately. But then she made a face of surprise as she realized that it was Danielle who had come to talk to her, not her father. "Oh, hey," Bella said, smiling sheepishly now. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. I thought you were my dad," she apologized.

"It's fine," Danielle reassured her.

Bella smiled, then motioned her into the room. Danielle stepped in and took a look around, eyeing the posters on the walls and the possessions scattered about the room. She turned back to Bella after her friend shut the bedroom door, watching as the dark haired girl went to the stereo and turned down the music.

"How are you?" Danielle asked once the music was down. "I've been worried about you all day."

Bella sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm…okay," she said with a nod. "It's been a _really_ weird day, though. After everything that happened with the crash and with Edward, I've just…" Bella sighed and shrugged. "I've had a lot on my mind."

Danielle pursed her lips with uncertainty. She thought back to what Bella had said that morning, how she was convinced that she had seen Edward do something that simply couldn't have been possible. Did Bella still believe that was what had happened? "Did something else happen with Edward?" she asked carefully.

Bella nodded. "He was at the hospital," she told her. "I saw him after you guys left and I went to talk to him. I had to know how he had been able to stop the van the way that he did," she insisted. But then she scowled and shook her head. "He wouldn't tell me. In fact, he made me feel like I was crazy for even thinking it was possible!" Bella said indignantly. "I mean, I know it's a little farfetched, but…I was right there, Danielle. I saw him do it with my own eyes!" she insisted.

Danielle frowned for a moment, unsure what to say in response. Bella seemed to adamantly believe that Edward had stopped the van with his bare hands, but Danielle, who had talked to Edward about what had happened and gotten his side of the story, didn't feel the same.

"Bella," she started slowly. "Do you think that maybe you were just… _confused_?" she asked gently. "I mean, it all happened pretty fast and I'm sure you were scared half to death. Maybe you weren't thinking straight. Maybe what you _think_ you saw…didn't happen," she told her.

Bella's jaw dropped in shocked, before she frowned deeply. "You don't believe me?" she asked bluntly.

Danielle pressed her lips together tightly. "I don't wanna say that I don't _believe_ you," she told her carefully, "but, I mean…stopping a van with his bare hands? That's _more_ than just a little farfetched."

"So you think I'm crazy, too, is that it?" Bella countered with pure frustration.

"No!" Danielle said at once. "I don't think you're crazy. I just think that maybe, in all the chaos, you saw something that didn't actually happen." Bella scoffed, but said nothing in response. "Look," Danielle continued. "I know Edward was at the hospital, because I talked to him while the doctor was looking you over. After what you told me, _I_ wanted to know what had happened too," she admitted. "We talked about what happened and he had a good explanation for everything. When it was all said and done…his side of the story made sense. Or, at least, it made more sense than the alternative," she added with a sigh.

Bella shook her head. "First Edward, now you," she said, sounding disappointed, maybe even a little defeated. "I can't believe this."

Danielle took a step closer, guilt consuming her. "I'm not trying to hurt your feelings here, Bella," she insisted. "I don't think you're crazy or anything like that. I just think that you were in a stressful situation and things got a little… _skewed._ "

Bella wouldn't meet her gaze, though. "I know what I saw," she repeated. "I don't care what Edward told you, and I don't care if you don't believe me. I was there. And I _know what I saw_."

Danielle sighed and nodded. "Okay," she finally said. She didn't want to upset Bella any further, not after the day she had already had. "I should probably go," she said, jerking her thumb toward the door. "My mom said not to stay long. We're gonna be eating dinner soon."

Bella looked at her, seemed to understand how uncomfortable Danielle was with the situation, then sighed heavily, her previous anger and determination quickly fading away. "I'm sorry," she apologized, looking regretful now. "You came over here to check on me and I'm acting like a huge jerk."

Danielle smiled at once. "Don't apologize. I understand. It's been a hard day," she said understandingly. "I'm just glad you're okay," she told her sincerely. "That's the only thing that _really_ matters."

Bella nodded, then flashed her a smile. "Thank you for coming to check on me. You're…you're a good friend."

Danielle smiled, then, after a brief moment of hesitation, she stepped closer and hugged Bella. Bella immediately her back, sighing a bit as she accepted the comforting embrace. Finally, they pulled away from each other.

"Get some rest," Danielle said, patting her shoulder before taking a step back. She didn't dare mention Edward or the crash again. They had managed to avoid an argument and were leaving on good terms – she preferred it to stay that way, too. "Try to not stress, okay? And if you need anything, anything at _all_ , you know where to find me."

Bella nodded. "Okay."

Danielle nodded to her, then finally went to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said, opening the bedroom door.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Bella said in return.

Danielle finally left the room after that and headed back downstairs. She said goodbye to Charlie, who was parked on the couch and watching a fishing show on TV, before stepping out of the Swan house. Then, she went home.

* * *

 **Review!**


	6. Chapter Five

**All I'm going to say is thank you, and you guys are awesome!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Five_

 _March_

As eventful as her first week in Forks had been, things settled down in the weeks that followed. The hype around her arrival at the school had died down completely, which was due in large part to the fact that the whole school had more or less forgotten about her after Bella's near death experience. Attention had shifted solely to Bella, which Danielle was selfishly grateful for – she was just another student now, no longer a subject of interest, and that was just how she liked it.

Slowly but surely she had gotten used to life in Forks, Washington. The cold wasn't so irritating anymore, the rain wasn't so annoying. She had fallen into a routine and felt significantly more comfortable with this new chapter of her life. As unsure as she had been about everything in the beginning, now that she had been there for over a month, she could appreciate the small town for what it was – a safe, quiet, cozy place where the people were friendly and neighbors looked out for one another. It wasn't a bad place to be at all, and she could admit that she was starting to _like_ being in Forks.

Of course, it helped that she had made some good friends. She and Bella had gotten really close and hung out all the time. Danielle had grown quite fond of the lunch group, especially Angela who she got along with really well – even Jessica had gotten a little less annoying with time. Danielle had also become pretty good friends with Emmett Cullen, too. They had a lot in common and always had a good laugh when they were around each other. He was the first person, other than Bella, who Danielle had clicked with and truly considered to be a friend.

But there was one person in particular who stood out above the rest, one person that had a lot to do with her newfound appreciation of her new home. And that person was Jasper Hale.

After the day that Jasper walked her to her mother's bookshop, things definitely changed between them. It had started off slow – they would walk to their English class together, study together during lunch here or there, or maybe squeeze in a quick chat after school if they happened to cross paths. But over time, as they grew more comfortable with each other, they began to see one another more and more. They always sat next to each other in class now, and always walked together in the halls if they were going the same direction. They would visit each other at their lockers if they had time between classes, and they had gotten to the point where they had lunch together several times a week, regardless of whether or not they had anything to study for. They were friends now, there was no question about that now. As rocky as a start as they had gotten off to, things couldn't have been better now.

…well, that actually wasn't the complete truth. For Danielle, there _was_ a way things could get even better between them. Because if she was to be one hundred percent honest, the more time went on and the more she time she spent around him, the more she had come to realize that the feelings that she had for Jasper _weren't_ just friendly anymore.

Jasper had told her once that he wanted to prove that he was better than the person she had met on her first day of school, and in _her_ eyes, he had achieved that by leaps and bounds. Jasper was a great guy – he was smart, easy to talk to, and, when he let his guard down, actually pretty funny. They didn't necessarily like all the same music, or the same books, or the same movies, but they never struggled to find something to talk about when they were together and they got along so well it was as if they had known each other for years. Jasper was the person she looked forward to seeing the most every day, someone she thought about on a near constant basis, and she was never happier than she was whenever she was with him. Danielle couldn't quite pinpoint the exact moment that it had happened, but one day, quite out of the blue, she had just _known_ …

She had fallen for Jasper, and she had fallen _hard_.

The only thing was that he had no idea how she _really_ felt, and in a way, Danielle was kind of okay with that. As far as she knew, Jasper only saw her as a friend – he never flirted with her or did anything to make her believe that his feelings were more than friendly. Though Tom, her best friend from Texas, had encouraged her to tell Jasper how she felt and see what happened, Danielle wasn't sure if that was the right move to make. Things were so good between them, they had come so far. She was afraid that she would ruin their friendship by confessing her feelings, afraid that she would scare Jasper away. And at the end of the day, she'd much rather have Jasper in her life as a friend than not have him in her life at all.

In the end, Danielle had decided to keep her feelings to herself. For now, she was content just to be friends with Jasper and enjoy they easy, comfortable relationship they had formed over the past month or so. She knew there would probably come a time in the future when the truth would come out, but until then, mum was the word as far as she was concerned.

When she and Bella arrived at Forks High on Tuesday, the first day of March, they got there a bit earlier than usual. As they pulled into the parking lot and parked a few spaces over from Mike's car, Danielle's eyes immediately searched the parking lot for the cars Jasper and his siblings always arrived in. Though she saw several kids loitering in the parking lot, she did not see any Cullen's anywhere. She frowned, wondering where Jasper was, then told herself to relax. He was probably on his way to school now. He'd show up soon enough.

After Bella cut the engine, they climbed out of the truck, collected their bags, then went to join the lunch group, who were all hanging out around Mike's car.

"Morning, everyone," Danielle said with a smile as they approached.

They were greeted by an enthusiastic chorus of ' _hey!'s_ and _'good morning!'s_. The guys greeted Danielle with high fives and fist bumps, as per usual, while Jessica and Angela gave her big smiles and friendly hugs. Bella received the same treatment, only Mike decided to throw an arm around her shoulder and pull her into his side as he began chatting away in her ear. Danielle had to resist the urge to laugh when she saw how incredibly uncomfortable Bella looked.

"So, have you heard yet?" Angela asked Danielle, her face shining with excitement.

Danielle frowned with confusion. "Heard what?"

"They finally announced the date for the Spring Fling!" Angela revealed. "It's going to be on March twelfth!"

Danielle cocked an eyebrow. She had no idea what Angela was talking about. "What the heck is the _Spring Fling?_ " she asked uncertainly.

"It's the Spring dance," Jessica piped up, finally focusing her attention on what Danielle and Angela were talking about once Bella deftly ducked out from underneath Mike's arm. "Because only the juniors and seniors are allowed to go to prom, the underclassmen kept throwing a fit every year saying that they felt left out. So the school finally decided to throw an extra dance in the spring time for the _whole_ school to attend. It's a Sadie Hawkins kind of thing, though," she added. "Meaning that it's the _girls_ who ask the _boys_ to the dance."

"Ah. I see," Danielle said, nodding in understanding.

Angela grinned and nudged Danielle her elbow. "So now that you know, who are you going to ask to go with you?" she asked, wagging her eyebrows knowingly.

The first face – the _only_ face – that flashed through her mind was Jasper's. But the thought of asking Jasper instantly made her nervous, because that sure felt a _lot_ like asking him on a date. And that seemed like dangerous territory to venture into.

"I think we _all_ know who she's going to ask," Eric piped up knowingly. Everyone looked at him as he paused dramatically, then he grinned widely. " _Me,_ of course!" he announced grandly.

Danielle and the girls laughed, but Mike and Tyler immediately scoffed and shoved his shoulders. "Yeah right, dude!" Tyler teased. "Why would Dani go with _you?"_

Eric shoved Tyler back, then jutted his chin into the air. "Because I'm so irresistible of course," he stated, as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. He turned a smirk on Danielle, who immediately quirked a brow at him. "You are merely one of _many_ who has fallen for my roguish charm and boyish good looks, milady," he said, stepping forward and sweeping up her hand so he could kiss her knuckles. His antics made her already quirked brow lift even higher. "But you are, by far, the fairest of all my suitors!" he told her with a wink.

Danielle snorted and shook her head. She knew Eric wasn't _really_ interested in her and that he was only joking around. Jessica and Bella were laughing again, while Mike and Tyler continued to roll their eyes and scoff at their friend. But when Danielle glanced at Angela, she realized that her friend didn't seem to be finding this whole situation so funny anymore. Angela had stopped laughing and was frowning a bit, her eyes bouncing back and forth between Danielle and Eric with growing uncertainty. Danielle, who had begun to recently suspect that Angela had a crush on Eric, quickly pulled her hand out of Eric's grasp.

"Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news," she said. "But I'm not sure I'm even going to the dance yet. So tell your other _suitors_ that you're still available," she advised him.

Eric immediately threw a hand over his heart, his face one of pain. "Oh, fair lady! How you wound me!" he cried dramatically.

Danielle reached a hand out to pat him on the head. "You'll live," she reassured him with a sarcastically sweet smile.

"What about you, Bells?" Mike spoke up, his eyes alight with interest as he looked at Bella. "You have anyone in mind?"

Now Jessica, who very obviously had a thing for Mike, was the one to frown. Bella, on the other hand, just shifted on her feet awkwardly and shrugged a shoulder. "Actually, I don't know if I'm gonna go either," she told him. "Dances aren't really my thing."

Mike seemed disappointed. "That's sad to hear," he said. "I hope you change your mind," he then told her earnestly, his tone leaving no doubt in Danielle's mind that he was hoping Bella would eventually ask _him_ to go.

Bella and Danielle shared a discreet look. The expression on Bella's face instantly told Danielle that even if she _did_ end up going, it wouldn't be with Mike Newton. Danielle knew exactly _why_ she didn't why to go with Mike, and that was because she knew Bella's interest lay somewhere else.

Bella had not admitted it aloud, but Danielle was pretty certain that her friend had a small, ever-growing crush on Edward Cullen. There was something in the way she looked at Edward, in the way that she always seemed to be very much aware of him and everything he did that just seemed so obvious to Danielle. Bella liked Edward, and she had for some time now.

There was one, big, glaring problem, however.

Ever since the accident the month before, Edward had been avoiding Bella like the plague. He never talked to her, barely even _acknowledged_ her. It seemed, for all intents and purposes, like he was doing his best to completely shut her out, though neither Bella, nor Danielle, was entirely sure why he had been behaving this way. They had debated his behavior plenty if times, and there had even been a few times where Danielle had resorted to asking both Jasper _and_ Emmett about Edward's behavior. But she'd only received vague, uninformative answers in return, and to this day, they still didn't know what Edward's deal was.

If Danielle was being honest, though, she had a sneaking suspicion that his determination to ignore Bella had something to do with the accident and the wild accusations that Bella had made in the wake of it. She and Bella had not dared to discuss what had happened the day that Edward had saved Bella's life, simply because they still did not agree on what had _really_ taken place that day. Danielle, however, knew that Bella still believed that Edward had done things that no normal human being should be able to do. She thought that maybe Bella's unwavering belief that Edward was some sort of super-human had just weirded him out, and, therefore, resulted in him trying to keep his distance. It wasn't much of an excuse, she supposed, but it was the best Danielle could come up with to try to explain everything.

"Okay, the bell to go to first period should be ringing soon," Angela said, looking at her watch. "I'm gonna head inside."

"I'll come with you," Bella quickly said, already taking a step away from Mike. She looked like she was happy to have any excuse to get out of having to participate in this conversation any further. "Dani?"

Danielle glanced around, searching the lot for the cars the Cullen's drove and hoping that Jasper and his siblings had arrived while she had been talking to her friends, but she couldn't see their cars anywhere, not from where she stood, at least. She finally sighed, then nodded. "Yeah. I'll come with you guys."

The rest of the group said they were going to hang out outside a little longer, so Danielle, Bella, and Angela said their goodbyes and continued on into school. When they walked inside, they found the walls covered in signs announcing the Spring Fling dance. The news had sent the girls in school into a tizzy – as they made their way to their lockers, they saw dozens of girls running about and giggling with excitement.

"This dance is a big deal, huh?" Danielle commented, her eyes turning to Angela.

" _Any_ dance is a big deal around here," Angela told them with a shrug.

Danielle nodded, then raised her brows questioningly. "Are you gonna ask someone to go with you?"

Angela pursed her lips unsurely. "I _had_ been thinking of asking someone," she admitted, "but now I'm not so sure."

"If you're talking about Eric, I think you should go for it," Danielle encouraged with a nod, knowing it was what her friend wanted to do, but feeling like she might need a little shove in the right direction.

Angela gave her a look of doubt. "I don't think he wants to go with me," she said with a shake of her head.

Danielle just shrugged. "Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. Guess you won't know for sure unless you _ask_ , huh?" she told her pointedly.

Angela sighed. "Yeah, I guess." She pursed her lips again, then smiled a bit. "I'll think about it."

"Good," Danielle said with satisfaction.

They reached Angela's locker after that, and after saying a quick goodbye, Angela veered off and she and Bella continued on down the hallway toward their own lockers. Bella glanced back at Angela as they walked, then looked at Danielle questioningly.

"You think Angela likes Eric?" she asked.

"Isn't it obvious she does?" Danielle shot back.

"Not to me," Bella admitted with a shrug. "But you're much better than I am at picking up on stuff like that," she added with a smirk.

They walked in silence after that, weaving their way between students as they made their way closer to their lockers. Danielle saw a pretty girl nervously walk up to a boy she clearly liked, her cheeks so red they looked like they might catch on fire. She was clearly asking him to the dance, and judging by the huge smile that stretched across her face when he spoke, Danielle would guess he had said yes. The two hugged, before the girl ran back to her friends, giggling the whole way.

They finally reached their lockers and made quick work of storing away their backpacks, both of them grabbing the books they would need for the next few classes. When they were finished, they shut their lockers and rejoined each other, before heading off in the general direction of their first period classes. It didn't take long for Danielle to notice that Bella was watching her curiously.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Danielle asked, wondering what was on her friend's mind.

Bella pressed her lips together, then raised her brows. "If you end up going to the dance, are you going to ask Jasper to go with you?" she asked quietly.

Danielle looked at her in surprise. Bella, of course, knew exactly how Danielle felt about Jasper. She had been sworn to secrecy though, and rarely brought it up, especially if they were at school. Danielle also tried to avoid yapping Bella's ear off about Jasper if she could, simply because she felt guilty about the fact that things were so easy between her and Jasper, while things were so _difficult_ for Bella and Edward.

Danielle thought about it, then shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I like dances. And I like _him,"_ she said with a sigh. "He's the only one I'd want to go with, but…I just don't know," she finished lamely, her expression full of uncertainty. "I don't know if he even wants to go to the dance, let alone go with _me_."

"Well, to quote someone very wise, you won't know for sure unless you _ask_ , will you?" Bella said, using the exact same words that Danielle had said to Angela only minutes before. Danielle gave her a look, which made Bella smile and shrug. "All I'm saying is that maybe you should give it a shot," she said. "If he says yes, then you guys will go to the dance and probably have a great time. And if he says no, well…" Bella trailed off.

"It's not the end of the world," Danielle finished for her. But even as she said that, she knew if Jasper turned her down that she'd be _crushed_.

"Exactly," Bella agreed with a nod.

Danielle sighed, then nodded. "I'll think about it," she said, giving the same answer Angela had. "Thanks for the pep talk," she said, flashing Bella a smile.

"Anytime," Bella said.

Eventually they reached the hall Danielle needed to turn in to go to class. She told Bella she would see her in Spanish, said her goodbyes, then started toward Calculus. Though her stomach always filled with butterflies at the thought of seeing Jasper, the butterflies were twice as fierce now that the Spring Fling dance had gotten thrown into the equation. When Danielle got to class, she took a moment to catch her breath when she saw that Jasper wasn't there yet. She eased into her seat and unpacked her things for class, then spent the next few minutes anxiously tapping her pencil against her desk, eyes locked on the door. With each student that filtered in, Danielle straightened with anticipation, only to relax again when it wasn't Jasper. Finally, when just about everyone had arrived and Danielle was starting to wonder whether Jasper was going to show at all, he walked through the door.

Just as always, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, then began to hammer faster than normal against her ribs. She briefly glanced at Rosalie, who walked in behind him and, without even acknowledging that Danielle was present, went to her seat on the far side of the room. Danielle then turned her eyes back to Jasper. He was wearing dark jeans and a white, V-neck sweater today, and good _lord_ did he look _good._ Jasper started toward his desk, flashing her a friendly smile. She smiled back at him as he approached, just _knowing_ her cheeks had turned pink already, and told herself to act normal. _Don't be an idiot,_ _Danielle_ , she told herself. _Just play it cool._

"Good morning," Jasper said as he eased into the desk on her left. Then, almost immediately, he frowned. "Why are you so nervous?"

 _Crap_. Danielle froze and looked at him like a deer caught in headlights. She had noticed over the course of time that Jasper seemed to have the uncanny ability to read her like an open book – one look at her, and he seemed to always know _exactly_ what she was feeling. She had also noticed – though it made absolutely no sense to her – that whenever she was with Jasper, her emotions had the tendency to bounce around so suddenly, it was almost as if they had they had a mind of their own. If she was stressed or worried or in a bad mood, it would all disappear in the blink of an eye and she would suddenly feel calm and relaxed and happy. Danielle had thought it very strange at first, and hadn't been able to tell if it was because Jasper just had _that_ much of an effect on her everyday mood, or if she was just losing her mind. In the end, she chalked it up to just having weird, hormonal mood swings.

"What makes you think I'm nervous?" Danielle asked evasively.

Jasper gave her a knowing look. "It's written all over your face."

Danielle just shrugged. "Well, I don't know what to tell you. I don't _feel_ nervous. I feel perfectly fine."

She was lying right through her teeth, and as Jasper gave her a long look, she was fairly certain he could tell. Being the wonderful person he was, though, he let it go.

The bell rang and class began, which Danielle was grateful for. She kept her eyes on the teacher and focused extra hard, hoping it might be enough to chase away that nervous feeling that continued to swirl around in her stomach. All throughout class, however, she could feel eyes on her and knew, without even having to look, that Jasper was giving her curious looks. He could clearly sense that she had something on her mind, and he seemed to want to know what that something was.

When the bell rang to send them to second period, Danielle and Jasper packed up their things and stood to leave at the same time. Jasper, just as he usually did, held the door open for her as the left the class, making her smile and nod to him gratefully. Soon enough they were on their way to English, walking side by side.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Jasper asked doubtfully. "Has something happened?"

Danielle smiled and shook her head. "Honestly, Jasper, I'm fine," she told him. "I've got a few things on my mind," which wasn't a lie, "but it's nothing to worry about. I promise," she added reassuringly.

Jasper still hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded his head. "Alright, if you say so," he finally conceded.

They walked in silence for a second or two, Danielle looking anywhere but at Jasper while Jasper studied her curiously from the corner of his eye. When they went past a large sign advertising the Spring Fling dance, Danielle, her curiosity getting the better of her, decided to test the waters a bit.

"Did you hear about the dance?" she asked casually, looking up at Jasper now.

Jasper quirked a brow, then nodded slowly. "I have, yes," he confirmed. "In fact, it's all I've heard anyone talking about since I arrived at school today."

Danielle nodded, then raised her brows curiously. "Have you…have you ever gone?" she asked next. _That's it, Danielle_ , she mentally encouraged herself. _Calm and casual is the game here._

Jasper gave her a wry smile, then shook his head. "No," he answered simply.

"Why not?" Danielle pried. "Did you not get asked or were you just not interested?"

Jasper sighed, and if she wasn't mistaken, he seemed the tiniest bit uncomfortable now. "I've been asked once or twice," he told her, which actually did surprise her a bit. She knew she wasn't the only girl who thought Jasper was attractive because she saw the way their female schoolmates looked at him, but she had believed that everyone else was too intimidated by him to even _talk_ to him, let alone ask him to the dance. "I always said no, though," he continued. "I'm not crazy about dances to begin with," he proceeded to admit. "And I'd imagine going with someone I don't know would only make the whole experience even more uncomfortable."

Any hope Danielle might have had instantly deflated. Jasper didn't like dances. If he hadn't wanted to go to them in the past, she found it hard to believe that he would want to go now…even if it _was_ with a friend.

"That's understandable," Danielle said with a nod, trying _very_ hard to hide her growing disappointment.

Jasper gave her a scrutinizing look, as if she was a puzzle he was trying to figure out. "Are you planning to go?" he asked, still watching her closely.

Danielle shrugged a shoulder. If she didn't go with Jasper, did she even want to go at all? "I don't know yet," she told him. "I do enjoy going to dances, and I think it could be fun. But…yeah, I don't know," she finished unsurely.

Jasper didn't say anything to that, just nodded his understanding.

When they reached their English class, Jasper, once again, moved to hold the door open for her. Danielle walked into the class, followed closely by Jasper, and they both took their seats in the front row. Barely even a second after she sat down, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Frowning uncertainly, she turned around to face the boy who sat behind her, who was named Jordan.

"Sup, Danielle?" he asked with a charming smile.

Danielle quirked a brow. Jordan wasn't a _bad_ looking guy, and from what she could tell, he seemed like he was a decent person. He didn't hold a candle to Jasper, though, not in _her_ eyes anyway. "Erm, hey, Jordan," she said unsurely. She glanced at Jasper, who was frowning at Jordan, his brows furrowed with suspicion. Danielle looked at Jordan again. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you'd heard about the dance," Jordan said, that charming smile never budging.

"Yeah, I have," Danielle said with a nod. "Why do you ask?"

"Well," Jordan said, his shoulders squaring confidently, "I was thinking that maybe you and _I_ could go together," he told her with a slight waggle of his eyebrows.

Danielle blinked at him. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the girl supposed to ask the guy?" she asked him pointedly.

"Well, _yeah_ ," Jordan confirmed with a chuckle. "But I think you're a great girl, and I think we'd have a good time together. So I figured I'd take a chance and break the rules a bit." Jordan paused, then raised his eyebrows. "So whaddya say?" he asked. "You wanna be my date?"

Danielle pressed her lips together, then gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Jordan, but…no," she declined as politely as possible.

It was obvious that Jordan had fully expected her to say yes. Because the moment she said _no_ , he frowned and looked defensive. "Why not?" he asked, not sounding so charming now. "Have you already asked someone?"

"Well, _no_ – " Danielle started to say.

"Then why not go with me?" Jordan demanded, clearly not about to give up so easily. "We'd have a good time together, I just know it. I mean…at least think about it before you just say _no."_

Danielle was beginning to rethink her previous assessment of his character. He didn't seem like such a nice guy anymore – now he seemed annoying and rude. "I don't need to think about it," she told him a bit more firmly this time.

"Why?" Jordan countered swiftly.

"Because – " she began to say.

"Because she already said _no,_ " a new voice interjected sharply.

Both Danielle and Jordan fell silent and turned their gazes to Jasper, and when they saw the look on his face, they both looked at him with wide eyes. Jasper seemed angry and was glaring at Jordan through narrowed eyes. But no, he wasn't just _glaring_. Danielle was pretty sure that if looks could kill, Jordan would be absolutely done for. Jordan gulped as Jasper continued to glare at him, looking quite afraid now.

"She doesn't want to go to the dance with you," Jasper said through clenched teeth. "Now I suggest you apologize for being rude and then _leave_ _her_ _alone_ ," he commanded.

Jordan gulped again, then finally looked back to Danielle. He sputtered over his words for a moment, but finally managed to get some words out. "Sorry, Danielle," he said quickly, shifting uncomfortably under Jasper's glaring.

Danielle pressed her lips together and shrugged. "It's okay," she said, not really knowing what else to say.

She turned forward again as the bell rang to signal the start of class, but instead of looking at the teacher, she glanced at Jasper from the corner of her eye. He looked tense and annoyed and still a bit angry. Danielle picked up her pencil, opened up her notebook, then wrote _'thank you'_ on the corner of a piece of paper. Danielle ripped the corner off, then, when the teacher wasn't looking, she reached over and placed it on Jasper's desk. Jasper looked at her in mild surprise, then turned his eyes down to the paper. When he read the simple words of gratitude, the tension instantly left his shoulders. Danielle smiled at him when his eyes lifted to hers again, and she was glad when he managed a smile for her.

* * *

After English, Jasper walked with her to her History class. Though they passed several signs advertising the Spring Fling, they didn't discuss the dance, nor that little incident with Jordan, any further. Once Jasper had gone his own way and Danielle was seated at her desk in her third period class, she rested her chin on her hand and stared distractedly at a map hanging on one of the walls of the classroom. She kept thinking about Jasper and the way he had jumped to her defense when Jordan had been pestering her about the dance.

She didn't really know what to make of Jasper's reaction to Jordan asking her out. She supposed it made sense that he would have her back – they _were_ friends, after all, and friends looked out for one another, right? Why _wouldn't_ Jasper save her from someone's unwanted attention? Then again, Jasper had seemed _really_ unhappy about the whole thing, more so than she would have expected him to be. But why exactly had he been so upset? Was it because he didn't like how persistent Jordan had been, or was it because he just didn't like that Jordan had asked her out to begin with?

A large hand suddenly waved in front of her face, making her blink in surprise. Emmett had arrived, only she'd been so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed.

"Ah, she _is_ still alive," he mused aloud teasingly. Emmett then raised his brows with curiosity. "Any reason you were comatose just now?"

Danielle sighed. "I was just…thinking," she told him.

Emmett blinked at her. "Thinking about…?" he prompted, motioning for her to elaborate with a wave of his hand.

Danielle debated whether she should tell Emmett what had just happened or not, then finally decided to give it a shot. After all, Emmett was Jasper's brother – who would have better insight to the inner workings of Jasper's mind than him?

"A guy in my last class asked me to go to the dance with him," she told Emmett.

Emmett pulled a face. "You mean that stupid Spring Fling thing?" he asked. Clearly he wasn't a fan of school dances either. After Danielle nodded in confirmation, Emmett gave her a curious look. "What did you say?"

"I told him no," she said, which made Emmett nod. "He didn't take the rejection very well, though, and kinda turned into a jerk about it."

Emmett frowned at once. "What?" He paused, then cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Alright," he said gruffly, "I want a name and a description of what he looks like," he told her seriously, looking like he was ready to go and put someone in their place. "Nobody, I repeat, _nobody,_ is allowed to be a jerk to one of _my_ friends. Only _I'm_ allowed to be a jerk to my friends," he added with a firm nod.

Danielle was touched by his protectiveness, but quickly shook her head. "Pump the brakes there, buddy," she said. "I'm not gonna let you get suspended from school because you decided to scare the crap out of someone." Emmett scoffed, as if the thought of getting suspended didn't bother him in the slightest. "Besides, Jasper already handled it," she reassured him.

Emmett smirked now, one brow lifting higher than the other. "He did, huh? Good."

Emmett definitely seemed pleased, but Danielle still didn't know what to think of it all. "To be honest, I'm kinda surprised by how… _defensive_ he got," she admitted. "The way Jasper was looking at him, I thought Jordan was gonna burst into flame right then and there." Danielle shook her head. "The whole thing seemed to really upset him."

"Well, _I'm_ not surprised," Emmett stated matter-of-factly. "Jasper's usually a pretty level headed guy, but when it comes to people he really cares about, he doesn't tolerate anyone messing with them. _"_

Danielle blinked. "Wait, what?" she asked, unsure if she'd heard him correctly.

Emmett didn't seem to understand why she was confused. "Jasper's protective of the people who are important to him," he said with a nonchalant shrug. "Always has been."

Daniel felt her heart thump hard in her chest. "And…and _I_ fall under the category of people who are important to him?" she asked in complete shock, pointing toward herself with uncertainty. "Jasper _cares_ about me?"

Emmett gave her a disbelieving look, as if he was stunned that she hadn't already known this. "C'mon, Dani. You're smarter than that," he shot at her with a meaningful look.

Danielle turned her eyes forward as the bell rang. But even as the teacher started talking, she didn't pay any attention. All she could hear in her head was the conversation she had just had with Emmett. And as she thought about what he had just said, the flame of hope that had been extinguished earlier suddenly surged back to life.

She had always been pretty good at being able to tell when other people liked each other, but she could admit that she had the tendency to be a bit oblivious when it came to someone liking _herself_. All this time she had really, truly believed that Jasper only viewed her as a friend…but now the things that Emmett had said were making her begin to wonder if maybe she had been wrong. What if there was more to all this than she had realized? What if, a small voice in her voice said hopefully, she had underestimated Jasper's feelings for her?

Could it be? Was it possible that Jasper felt the same way that she did?

* * *

By the time Danielle made it to Spanish, she was practically bursting with the need to tell Bella all about the events of the day. She did not get a chance to do so before the bell rang, nor did she dare try to discuss it once class had started. But as soon as Spanish was over and they were headed toward the cafeteria, she told Bella everything, from her talk with Jasper between classes, to Jasper coming to her defense when Jordan asked her to the dance, and, lastly, what Emmett had told her during history.

"So wait," Bella interjected. "What does that mean? Does that mean Jasper likes you? As in, _likes_ you likes you?"

Danielle shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea," she said honestly. "He's never really _acted_ like he does."

"Are you sure about that?" Bella asked skeptically. "Because you guys spend a _lot_ of time together, and I've never even seen him _look_ at another girl since you came into the picture," she pointed out.

Danielle pressed her lips together as they walked. Part of her really, _really_ wanted to believe that she had been wrong. That Jasper _did_ like her and that there was a chance that their friendship might someday grow into something…more. But another, much larger part of her was afraid to get her hopes up.

"Just because he's protective of me doesn't mean he sees me as anything more than a friend," she countered. "I can think of a _dozen_ times where Tom did the exact same thing Jasper did, and it was never because he _liked me_. It was because we were friends and he wanted to look out for me," she proceeded to explain.

"Okay…but think about how you and Tom are with each other and compare it to how you and _Jasper_ are together," Bella countered. "Is it the same?"

Danielle knew the answer without even having to think about it. She and Tom were like brother and sister, and had been since day one. She and _Jasper,_ however, well…that was a much different story.

Jessica and Angela suddenly stepped into view and spotted them almost immediately. "Hey, girls!" Jessica said enthusiastically, before the two quickly came to join them on their trek to the cafeteria. Danielle shot Bella a quick, silent look, one that clearly said she didn't want to discuss Jasper any further now that they weren't alone. Bella just nodded, and with that they put the conversation on hold.

As soon as they entered the cafeteria, the four of them made a beeline for the lunch line to get food. Jessica did most of the talking, going on and on about the dance and how excited she was. "You two should _really_ consider going," she insisted with a nod. "Think of all the fun we'll have! We can all go as a group and go to dinner and take pictures! The whole nine yards! And of course, going to a dance means _shopping for dresses_ ," she said with a clap of excitement. "Can anyone say girl's day out?!"

Angela and Jessica soon began to excitedly debate where they would go to look for dresses. As for Danielle and Bella, they just shared another look behind Jessica's back. Bella didn't look even remotely excited about the idea of dress shopping _or_ going to the dance. Danielle just shrugged at her friend with indecision.

After they had gotten their lunches, the four of them started in the direction of the lunch tables. Danielle glanced around, searching for a familiar head of blonde hair, then smiled when she spotted Jasper sitting at the table they always claimed whenever they sat together. He had been watching her expectantly, clearly waiting for her to notice him, then flashed a lopsided smile when their eyes met. Danielle immediately felt nervous again, even more nervous than she had been that morning thanks to what Emmett had told her in history. She smiled back, though, and started to take a step in that direction. Just as she did, however, an arm dropped around her shoulder, catching her quite by surprise. She glanced up at the person attached to the arm currently draped across her shoulders, quirking a brow when she realized it was Mike.

"Well, would ya _lookee here_ ," he said with a broad grin. His eyes lingered on Bella a little longer than was probably necessary as he looked at each other them. "All my favorite girls in the same place!"

Danielle tried to ignore the look Jessica was now directing at her. She glanced at Jasper, who was watching her with a frown now, then peered up at Mike. "Er, what's up Mike?" she asked unsurely. Mike being a little on the touchy-feely side wasn't anything new, but he usually reserved this sort of attention for Bella or Jessica.

"We all have something _very_ important to discuss," he said. "I have two words for you," he paused dramatically, then said, " _La Push."_

Jessica and Angela immediately made sounds of excitement, while Danielle and Bella looked at each other in bewilderment. "La _what_?" Bella asked uncertainly.

Mike began to lead everyone toward the table the lunch group always sat at, and since he still had his arm around Danielle's shoulders, she had no choice but to go with him. She glanced helplessly at Jasper, who was watching them go to the other table, his frown deepening more and more by the second. She tried to catch his eye and beg him to come and rescue her, but he didn't pick up on her silent pleas for help – he was too busy glaring at the back of Mike's head. Mike, of course, was totally oblivious to the look he was getting.

"La Push is a town on the Quileute reservation," Angela quickly explained. "There's a beach out there we go to every now and again. It's really pretty and nature-y and it's an awesome spot for whale watching."

" _And_ it's a great place to catch some waves," Mike interjected excitedly. "So I already talked it over with the guys, and we're heading out this Saturday. You ladies in?" he asked eagerly.

Jessica and Angela immediately agreed to go. Danielle took a second to think it over, then nodded. She hadn't been to a beach in a while and was curious to see what this La Push place was like. "Yeah, sure. I'm in," she said. "Sounds like fun."

"Excellent!" Mike said happily. He then turned hopeful eyes on Bella. "How about you, Bells? You coming too?"

Bella glanced at Danielle, then nodded. "Sure. Count me in too."

Mike finally removed his arm from Danielle's shoulders so he could throw his arms up in celebration. "Alright! That's what I'm talking about! La Push, baby! It's on!"

They all shook their heads and laughed as Mike hurried off to tell Eric and Tyler the news, looking a bit like a kid on Christmas morning. Bella, Jessica, and Angela then followed him to their lunch table, but Danielle, who was eager to get to Jasper now that she was free to go, hung back.

"Hey, guys?" she called, making the three girls look back at her. "I'm gonna go – "

But the words died on her lips. Because when she looked back at her and Jasper's table, she saw that it was empty. Frowning now, she glanced toward the Cullen table to see if he was there instead. He wasn't. Jasper was gone, had left the cafeteria completely. Only his siblings were at the Cullen table, and Emmett, she noticed was giving her a look that she couldn't quite decipher. She thought it looked a bit like disappointment, though.

An uneasy feeling entered her body, and suddenly she couldn't shake the feeling that she had done something wrong. For a brief moment she considered going to look for Jasper, but then she decided against it. If he was upset with her for something, maybe she should give him a bit of space. Sighing heavily she turned back to her friends, who were watching her unsurely.

"Never mind," she told them with a forced smile.

Then she followed them to the table and sat down to have lunch.

* * *

Danielle thought about Jasper nonstop for the rest of the day, which wasn't really anything new. The only difference now was that instead of her usual happy, love-struck thoughts, her mind was full of nothing but worry and unease.

The whole lunch situation kept hanging over her head, and the more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that she had _definitely_ messed up. Jasper had wanted to have lunch with her, but she had allowed herself to get sidetracked by Mike and it had obviously given Jasper the wrong idea about what was going on. He probably thought that she had purposefully ditched him, which hadn't been the case at _all._ And the fact that Mike had cozied up to her? If what Emmett had said was true, and if, by some miracle, Jasper _did_ have more than friendly feelings for her, she could see why he had reacted the way he had. From her point of view, it had been innocent – she knew that Mike only saw her as a friend and that his actions had not had any sort of intent behind them. But to the outside perspective, it would have definitely looked like something else.

Danielle cursed herself over and over again. She had gone about everything the wrong way _._ Why hadn't she pushed Mike away? Why hadn't she done something to signal to Jasper that she would be coming to sit with him? Now Jasper was probably angry with her, and she didn't blame him one bit, because _she_ was angry at herself too.

By the time the final bell rang, Danielle had come to the decision that she needed to find Jasper and explain what had happened. She did _not_ want him to be upset with her, and she _definitely_ didn't want him to go home and spend the entire night thinking that she had blown him off for Mike Newton. When their gym teacher dismissed them for the day, she hurried to the locker room and changed out of her gym clothes lightning fast, then grabbed her things and started toward the door without waiting for Bella.

"I'll meet you at the truck, okay?" she called over her shoulder. "I've got something to take care of."

Bella seemed a bit confused, but nodded anyway. "Okay."

Danielle left without another word, marching with quick, determined steps in the direction of Jasper's locker, hoping very much to be able to catch him before he met up with his siblings. She pushed through the crowd, moving as fast as she could, her heart thumping hard in her chest. She didn't know what she was going to say to him, but she knew, no matter what, that she had to set the record straight. She just hoped now that he would be willing to listen.

Finally, Jasper's locker came into sight. And by the working if some higher power, he was there. He was shoving various books into his schoolbag, completely ignoring the people around him, the small scowl on his lips hinting that he wasn't in a great mood. Danielle paused for a moment, sucked in a deep breath, then lifted her chin and went over to him. _Don't be a chicken,_ she said to herself internally. _Just talk to him._

When she was only a few feet away, he suddenly looked at her, as if he had been able to sense that she was there. Her stomach jumped, but she kept walking toward him until she was finally by his side.

"Hey," Danielle said carefully.

Jasper's expression was difficult to read. He seemed a bit stiff, though, a bit more guarded than usual. "Hello," he said evenly.

Danielle went quiet for a moment, then decided there was no use beating around the bush. "I'm sorry about earlier," she told him sincerely. "I wasn't trying to blow you off, I promise. I was actually gonna come sit with you, but then Mike showed up and started blabbing about some beach trip him and the other guys planned for this weekend. I tried to get to you as fast as I could, but by the time I finally got away, you were gone," Danielle explained in a rush. "I'm _really_ sorry, Jasper. Honestly."

Danielle gave him a pleading look, silently begging him to understand. Jasper stared back at her for a moment, then his expression softened and his shoulders relaxed. "It's alright, Danielle," he said, giving her a small smile. "You don't have to apologize for spending time with your friends."

"But _you're_ my friend, too," she reminded him pointedly. "And trust me, between hearing the guys brag about who was the better surfer and Jessica talking nonstop about how she wanted to do her hair and makeup for the dance, I would have _much_ rather spent my lunch with you," she admitted with a small laugh.

Jasper smiled, though whether it was with amusement my or satisfaction, she couldn't tell. Either way, she took it as a good sign. "Sounds like torture," he commented with just a hint of teasing.

Danielle smiled. "You're not _wrong_ ," she shot back. Lunch _had_ felt like torture, what with Jasper being gone and her being convinced he was angry at her. She looked at him for a moment, then tilted her head questioningly. "So…are you mad at me?"

Jasper shook his head. "No, I'm not," he said, and she knew he was telling the truth.

Danielle breathed a sigh of relief. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that," she said, grinning broadly now.

"Actually, I think I might," he responded a bit cryptically. Danielle frowned with slight confusion as Jasper shut his locker and slung his bag over his shoulder. Before she could ask him what he had meant by that, however, he turned to her and raised his brows curiously. "Are you headed to Bella's truck?"

Danielle nodded. "I just have to stop by my locker first," she said.

Jasper made a sound of understanding. "I'll walk with you."

Danielle grinned again. "Okay," she readily accepted.

They started down the hallway, which was already a lot less crowded now that students were filtering out for the day. As anxious and unsure as Danielle had been since lunch, she felt much better now that she knew things were alright between her and Jasper. She couldn't help but look up at him as they walked, giving him a small smile when their eyes met. He smiled back, then cleared his throat.

"So what's this beach trip you mentioned?" he asked conversationally.

Danielle shrugged. "I guess there's a beach nearby that has really good waves for surfing and really good whale watching," she said. "It's somewhere in a place called La Push?"

His eyes lit with recognition. "Ah, I see," Jasper said, nodding slowly. "And you're going?"

"Yeah, I am." Danielle shrugged. "I haven't seen a beach in a while. Plus the other girls are going. I think it'll be fun…or, at least, I _hope_ it'll be fun," she added with a smirk.

"I'm sure it will be," Jasper told her.

When they reached her locker, Danielle quickly put in the combination and pulled it open. Jasper leaned against the locker next to his, his amber eyes glancing around for a moment, before he turned his gaze back to her. Danielle glanced at him from the corner of her eye, very much aware of the fact that he was watching her and doing her best not to blush because of it. She grabbed her backpack and started stuffing it with the notebooks and textbooks she would need for homework that night.

"You know," Jasper said casually, making her glance at him again. "When I saw Mike come up to you at lunch, I thought maybe _he_ was going to ask you to the dance, too."

At first, Danielle was a little surprised by what he had said. But then she snorted and gave him a look. "I'd be _very_ surprised if he did," she told him.

"Why's that?" Jasper asked.

"Because I'm pretty sure he's got a thing for Bella," she said matter-of-factly. "And by pretty sure, I mean he _definitely_ does,"

Jasper quirked a brow. "And you're…alright with that?" he asked slowly.

Danielle stopped what she was doing and gave him a disbelieving look. He wasn't _actually_ asking her what she thought he was, was he? "Are you kidding?" she asked with a scoff. "I couldn't be _more_ alright with that. I mean, I guess I kinda feel bad for Bella. But if someone has to be the apple of Mike's eye, then better _her_ than me," she said with a shake of her head.

Jasper smirked in response to that, looking a bit amused. But she thought she saw a gleam in his amber eyes, one that hinted that it pleased him to know that she didn't see Mike that way.

Danielle finally finished filling her backpack and closed her locker. The two of them then started toward the exit, walking in comfortable silence. When they reached the door, Jasper, being the southern gentleman that he was, pulled it open and gestured her through, just as he always did every single time they went through any doorway together. Danielle smiled broadly as she went past him. There were a lot of reasons why she liked Jasper so much, but the fact that he _was_ still such a southern gentleman, despite the many years that had passed since he had lived in the south, was one of the things that she found most attractive about him.

They walked to the parking lot, which was already emptying out as students went home for the day. Not so far away, she could see Jasper's siblings hanging out by their car, clearly waiting for Jasper. A little further into the parking lot, she could see Bella waiting by the truck. Bella had a book out and appeared to be reading something, but she kept glancing in the direction of the Cullen's …or, more specifically, in _Edward's_ direction. Edward wasn't paying any attention to her, though, which wasn't much of a surprise considering he always pretended like she wasn't there these days.

"I should probably go," Jasper said, drawing Danielle's attention to him. "They're looking a little impatient," he added, nodding in the direction of his siblings.

Danielle nodded her understanding. "Okay," she said. "I'll see you in the morning."

Jasper nodded. Then, with one last smile, he turned to leave.

Danielle watched him go for a moment, sighing to herself. But then it was as if something suddenly came over. Maybe it was because she had been thinking about the dance all day, maybe it was because of her conversation with Emmett, or maybe it was just because the lunch situation had been handled and she now knew that she and Jasper were perfectly fine. Whatever the reason, she suddenly felt a surge of courage. She wanted to ask Jasper to the Spring Fling. And there seemed no better time to do it than now, while she still had the nerve to do it. It was now or never, time to be brave and hope that she _wasn't_ about to make a catastrophic mistake.

"Hey, Jasper?" she called out to him, shifting on her feet nervously.

Jasper stopped at the sound of her voice and turned back around to face her, his brows raising questioningly. "Yes?" he asked.

Danielle gulped, then walked toward him. She stopped once she was standing in front of him. _You can do this, Danielle_ , she told herself internally. _Just go for it._ "I don't know exactly how to ask what I'm about to ask, so I'm just gonna come out with it." She paused for a moment, then, when Jasper gave her an expectant look, she sucked in a deep breath and laid all her cards on the table. "Will you go to the Spring Fling with me?" she asked in a rush.

Jasper's eyebrows shot up so high, they nearly disappeared into his hairline. Clearly he hadn't been expecting her to ask him to the dance, and the fact that she _had_ had caught him off guard. "What?" he asked, almost in disbelief.

Danielle felt her moment of bravery begin to rapidly slip away. "I'd…like to go to the dance with you?" she said, uncertainty evident in her tone now. "I know you said you don't like dances and that they're awkward and stuff, and yeah, maybe they _are,_ " she quickly added, waving a hand around wildly as she spoke. "But we get along really well and I like being around you and I think it'd be fun. You're the only person I wanna go with. It doesn't have to be a big deal, we can just…go and have fun and… _yeah_ ," Danielle finished.

She realized two things in that moment. The first thing she realized was that she was rambling, which made her quickly shut her mouth before she could say anything else. The second thing she realized was that Jasper hadn't said anything – all he was doing was staring back at her like she'd sprouted another head. As a few torturously long, silent seconds ticked by, Danielle began to fear the worst. She had been wrong. Any minute now Jasper was going to call her an idiot and tell her how she had never stood a chance, then she'd have no choice but to crawl into the nearest hole and die a slow, miserable death.

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Jasper sighed and raked a frustrated hand through his hair, something she had never seen him do before. "Look, I, uh…" He seemed to struggle to find the right words to say. "I don't know if that's a good idea," he finally said.

It was all her fears confirmed. Feeling a bit like she'd just been punched in the gut, Danielle pressed her lips together and nodded. "Oh…okay," she said quietly, her eyes turning down to her shoes.

Jasper heaved again, which made her look up. "Danielle – "

"It's fine, Jasper," she interrupted gently, making him fall silent again. She didn't want to hear his reasons for saying no, didn't want to hear him say, out loud, that he just didn't feel that way about her. Right now, all she wanted was to preserve whatever pride she had left and get away from him before he saw just how badly his rejection was affecting her. "You don't have to explain. I _totally_ get it," she told him, her tone perhaps a little _too_ understanding.

"But – " Jasper started to say again.

"I should go," she interrupted again, taking two big steps to the side, fully preparing to dart past him and make a run for it. "Bella's waiting for me."

"Danielle, wait," Jasper said, taking a step toward her, his tone and expression pleading.

Danielle shook her head and held up a hand to stop him. Jasper instantly froze. "I _really_ need to go," she repeated, unable to meet his gaze. "I'll, uh…I'll see you around, okay?"

With that being said, Danielle brushed past him and quickly began to walk away, trying not to acknowledge the lump that had formed in her throat. She heard Jasper curse angrily behind her, but she didn't stop. She kept going forward, keeping her head down, ignoring the Cullen's when she walked past them, ignoring _anyone_ who even looked in her direction. When she reached Bella, her friend took one look at the expression on her face and immediately stood straighter with concern.

"Dani? Are you alright?" she asked, glancing briefly in Jasper's direction before turning worried eyes on her. "What happened?"

Danielle didn't even bother trying to fake anything. "I don't wanna talk about it," she said. "Let's just…get out of here. Please?"

Bella slowly nodded. "Yeah, okay," she agreed.

They quickly piled into the truck, and before long, they were pulling out of the school parking lot. Danielle said nothing to Bella, just rested her forehead against the cool glass of the passenger side window, watching the world rush by and hating herself more and more with each passing second. She had ruined everything. She was sure of it. Things had been so good, and now, because she had decided to throw caution to the wind, things were never going to be the same between her and Jasper.

How could she have been so _stupid_?

* * *

 **Review!**


	7. Chapter Six

**Oh my gosh, you guys. There are no words to describe how amazing all of you are. I am so thrilled with the response this story has gotten! Thank you to everyone for your support and kind words!**

 **P.S. For anyone curious as to how much extra detail I'm putting into the rewrite, the original version of When Nothing Crumbles was around 75,000 words long in its entirety. As of right now, we're seven chapters in with the rewrite and are already at 79,000 words. So yeah...big difference!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Six_

That night, after she had finished her homework and eaten dinner with her mother, Danielle lay in bed with her feet propped up on the headboard of her bed, her eyes staring up at the glow in the dark stars stuck to her ceiling and her cell phone pressed to her ear. After her mortifying day at school, she had been desperate to talk to Tom, who would undoubtedly have some words of reassurance for her.

"God, it was so _embarrassing_ , Tom," she heaved into the phone, closing her eyes and shaking her head. She had just finished telling him everything that had happened, and it was just as horrible retelling it as it had been to actually experience it. "I just wanted the earth to open up and swallow me whole!"

"I'm sure it's not as bad as it you're making it sound," he countered.

"Oh, no. It was _bad_ ," Danielle insisted. "There I was, word vomiting _all_ over the place, while he just stood there and stared at me like a third eye had just popped out of my forehead or something. He looked damn near _terrified_ that I had even dared to ask."

"Maybe you just caught him by surprise," Tom offered, which Danielle thought was an understatement. Jasper had been surprised, there was no doubt about that, but it had _not_ been a _good_ surprised. "Maybe he didn't think you'd want to go with him and didn't know how to react when you asked."

"Or maybe he thinks I'm an idiot for even thinking he would _ever_ be into me and just couldn't decide the best way to tell me to get lost," she retorted cynically.

Tom heaved in her ear. "Listen here, Pessimistic Pattie," he said firmly. "You don't even know that he was going to say _no_ ," he pointed out.

Danielle pulled a face and dropped her feet from her headboard so she could sit up. "I'm sorry, but which part of this conversation did you not understand?" she asked sarcastically. "I asked Jasper to the dance and he said _no_. He _doesn't_ want to go with me."

"No, he didn't," Tom countered patiently, which made her annoyance spike. "What he said was that he didn't know if it was a good _idea_ or not, which isn't technically a no," he then reminded her.

Danielle rolled her eyes, trying not to feel annoyed. She appreciated the fact that Tom was trying to make her feel better, but what was the point in denying that Jasper had turned her down? "Okay, so he didn't outright say _no_ , but he sure as hell didn't say _yes_ , either," Danielle said.

"He might have if you hadn't hightailed it out of there before he had a chance to explain himself," Tom said without missing beat. "He was trying to say something to you before you ran away, right?"

Danielle pressed her lips together. Jasper _had_ tried to stop her before she'd made a run for it, only she'd been so upset that she hadn't given him the chance to say anything else. "Well…yeah," she admitted reluctantly. "But all he was probably trying to do was give me some lame excuse as to why he couldn't go or something," she quickly added.

"There you go assuming again," Tom said disapprovingly. "How do you know he didn't just need a few seconds to give it some thought? How do you know he wasn't gonna eventually say yes?"

Danielle heaved in response. "Because if he had wanted to say yes, then he would have said _yes,_ " she said, stating what she thought should have been pretty obvious.

"Look, has it occurred to you even _once_ that maybe _he's_ just as nervous about all this as you are?" he asked. "You said it yourself – you're basically the guy's only friend. What if he likes you, only he's afraid he'll screw it up and lose someone he really cares about in the process? What if he's just trying to be careful and make sure he goes about everything the right way?"

Danielle blinked in surprise. That thought actually _hadn't_ crossed her mind. The hopeful side of her thought that Tom actually made a good point – _was_ Jasper into her, only he was just being cautious about it? Was he just trying to make sure the friendship they had built remained protected? But then the larger part of her that was still very much wounded after what had happened that day instantly went into denial. No, if Jasper had liked her then he wouldn't have hesitated and he wouldn't have said no. He would have seen that this was a chance for them to take things a step further and said yes. The fact that he _hadn't_ done that clearly meant he didn't feel the same say, didn't it?

Danielle sighed and rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache coming on from all the going back and forth she'd been doing since she got home. "I don't know what to think anymore, Tom," she said helplessly. "This whole thing has turned into such mess. I barely even know what's going on in my _own_ head right now, let alone in Jasper's."

"Well, there's a simple solution here," Tom said. " _Talk to him."_

"And make an even _bigger_ ass of myself?" Danielle retorted huffily. "No thank you. In fact, I might skip school tomorrow, maybe even skip for the rest of the _week_ ," she said. "Lord knows it's only a matter of time before word gets around that I was shot down by Jasper. I'll be the laughing stock of the school."

"No, you won't," Tom told her. "And you're not gonna _skip_ either. You're gonna suck it up, put on your big girl britches, and face him at school tomorrow," he ordered. "And if he tries to talk to you, you're not going to run away again. You're gonna _listen_ to what he has to say."

Danielle made a sour face in response to his bossiness. "Who are you, my _mother?"_

"I'm your brutally honest friend who is telling you to get over this little pity party you're throwing for yourself and at least give the guy a chance to explain himself before you go jumping off the deep end," Tom retorted. He paused, then spoke again. "Look, I can tell you really like this guy," he said seriously. "For the past month, all I've heard from you is ' _Jasper this'_ and _'Jasper that'._ Obviously he's someone who means a lot to you. Now I can't tell you for sure what it is that he feels for you, but just judging by what you told me, I feel like there's more to this story. And if you push him away before you even know what's really going on, then you're an idiot and you're making a huge mistake."

Danielle sighed heavily. "And what if there _isn't_ more to this story? What if he's the one who pushes _me_ away?" she asked.

"Then _he's_ an idiot, and he doesn't deserve you," Tom said matter-of-factly.

Danielle sighed heavily. "Why does stuff like this have to be so complicated?" she asked.

"Because it's high school. _Everything_ is complicated," Tom said dryly. "You're not the only one dealing with something like this, trust me."

Danielle realized something after he said that. While she had spent the last handful of weeks blabbing away about Jasper, she hadn't bothered to ask Tom if there was anyone at school who had caught _his_ eye. "How's _your_ love life going, Pickles?" she asked, using the short version of her nickname for him. "Tell me it's better than mine."

Tom scoffed, which couldn't mean anything good. "That, my friend, is a conversation for a different day," he said firmly. "Its getting late, and I still have homework to finish up."

Danielle cringed when she looked at the clock and realized it was past ten o'clock in Houston. "Why didn't you say something? I would've let you go a lot sooner if I'd known you had stuff to do."

"Hey, when my best friend calls and is in the middle of a crisis, that's _way_ more important than some stupid assignment that won't mean anything to me after tomorrow," Tom told her.

Danielle smiled. "You're the best, Tom," she said fondly. "You know I couldn't live without you, right?"

"Course I do," he said cockily, which made her chuckle. "I should go, but just...keep your chin up, okay? And keep me in the loop about Jasper. I wanna know what happens after you two see each other again _._ "

"Okay. I will," Danielle promised.

They said goodbye after that. Danielle ended the call and tossed her phone down onto the bed before flopping onto her back with a heave. Tom had certainly given her a lot to think about, that was for sure. Was he right about what he had said, though? She had absolutely no idea. All she knew was that she was dreading tomorrow, and there weren't enough encouraging words in the world that would change that.

* * *

It took a lot of mental pep-talking and a significant amount of willpower, but Danielle managed to drag herself out of bed the next morning and start getting ready for school, even though going to school was the absolute last thing she wanted to do. For the first time in a _long_ time, she was not in anyway looking forward to seeing Jasper, and she was _not_ looking forward having to sit through the classes they had together. They were going to be the worst, most painfully awkward classes of her life, she just knew it.

Once she was dressed and had eaten breakfast, she grabbed her backpack and headed out to meet Bella at the truck. Bella was waiting for her already, and as Danielle walked toward, dragging her feet the entire way, she was certain Bella could tell that she wasn't in a good mood.

"Hey," Bella greeted gently.

"Hey," Danielle said back, trying not to sound as glum as she felt.

Bella hesitated, looking very much like she wanted to ask her what was going on. Danielle just kept her mouth shut and her eyes down as she set her bag in the bed of the truck, before heading for the passenger side door. Bella sighed and finally followed her lead, putting her bag in the back and then climbing into the cab.

They began making their way to school, driving along in silence at first. Danielle kept her eyes glued to the window, taking these last moments before school to mentally prepare herself for what she was about to face and trying to convince herself that everything would be alright. She felt Bella's eyes on her, but she didn't meet her friend's gaze. Finally, when she seemed unable to stand the silence any loner, Bella cleared her throat and spoke.

"Jessica called me last night," she revealed. "She wanted my permission to ask Mike to the dance."

The comment was enough to make Danielle quirk a brow and turn a questioning look on Bella. "Why was she asking _your_ permission?" she asked.

Bella shrugged. "I guess she thought _I_ was going to ask him," she said. "I told her I wasn't going to the dance and that I thought it would be a great idea if she asked him," Bella said with a nod, which didn't surprise Danielle. She was sure her friend would be fond of _any_ idea that would get Mike off her back. "I told her she should encourage Angela to ask Eric to the dance, too. After what we all talked about yesterday, I thought it would be a good idea to get another person trying to push Angela in the right direction."

Danielle nodded. "Good idea."

Their conversation lulled for a moment. Bella kept her eyes on the road, while Danielle shifted in her seat and picked at a string that had come loose from the hem of her shirt.

"Are you gonna tell me what happened yesterday?" Bella finally asked.

Danielle hesitated, then finally decided she might as well tell Bella the truth. She gave her a look, then sighed heavily. "I asked Jasper to the Spring Fling," she revealed, which made Bella look at her with wide eyes. Before Bella had the chance to ask what his response had been, Danielle frowned and turned her eyes back to the window. "He said no."

"Oh," Bella said quietly. There was a long pause of silence, then Bella said, "Dani, I'm sorry." Danielle glanced at Bella again, who was watching her with a sympathetic frown. "That really sucks."

Danielle mustered up a halfhearted smile in return. "Thanks," she said without much enthusiasm.

"Are you…alright?" Bella asked with concern.

Danielle shrugged a shoulder. "I'm not _great_ ," she admitted. "I feel pretty dumb, and I'm definitely not looking forward to seeing him. But…what's done is done," she said with a slow nod. "There's nothing I can do now but hope he doesn't hate my guts and hope we can still salvage our friendship."

"Jasper doesn't hate your guts," Bella said at once.

Danielle quirked a brow. "How do _you_ know?"

"Because I see the way you two are together," Bella said matter-of-factly. "He's not going to suddenly hate you just because you asked him to a stupid _dance_. Things might be awkward for a bit, but…it'll get better," she said with optimism.

Danielle sighed. "Yeah, maybe."

But despite her friend's encouraging words, Danielle couldn't help the doubt still swirling through her veins. As much as she wanted to believe both Bella _and_ Tom when they told her that there was still a chance that all of this would work out in the end, after what had happened the day before, she wasn't going to get her hopes up. She had already let herself get her hopes up once and it had blown up in her face – if it were to happen again, she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle it a second time around.

The rest of the drive to school was spent in silence. A short time later, when they turned a corner and Forks High came into view, Danielle immediately felt her palms begin to sweat. They were almost to school. The moment she had been dreading was drawing closer and closer with each passing second. Bella turned into the school parking lot and parked in the first available space she spotted, but neither one of them made any moves to get out the truck just yet. Danielle's eyes searched the lot for any of the Cullen cars, her heart launching up into her throat when she finally spotted a fancy vehicle parked only a few spaces over. Jasper was here already. And he probably wasn't looking forward to seeing her, either.

"Is it too late to make a run for it?" Danielle asked, turning helpless eyes on Bella.

Bella smiled sympathetically. "If you don't face him today, you'll just have to do it tomorrow," she said wisely. She was right, of course. "Might as well get it over with, right?"

Danielle seriously contemplated just chickening out and skipping school for another second or two, until she finally realized that skipping school would solve absolutely nothing. She sucked in a deep breath through her nose, then let it out slowly, her eyes closing for a moment. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at Bella again, before nodding. "Alright."

Bella reached over to pat her shoulder, then opened the door and got out of the truck. Danielle soon followed her lead, and once they had collected their backpacks from the bed of the truck, they started making their way up to the school. As they walked, Danielle's eyes jumped all around, always on the lookout for a familiar head of blonde hair, as if she was afraid Jasper would pop out from behind a car when she least expected it. When they managed to make it across the parking lot without running into – or even _seeing_ – any Cullen's, Danielle began to breathe a bit easier. She knew she would still be seeing Jasper when she went to her first period class, but at least she had a few more minutes to get herself together before their impending meeting.

But any relief she felt was short lived. Because the moment she and Bella ascended the stairs that led from the parking lot to the school, she saw him. Jasper was outside, standing by himself not far from the entrance to the school, his spine stiff as a board. When their gazes met he stood even straighter, his shoulders squaring a bit. There was no denying that he had been waiting for her to show up, especially when he came marching toward her with purposeful steps.

Danielle stood rooted to the spot at the top of the stairs, not even noticing when a few people complained about her standing in the way as they brushed past her. Bella stopped too, her eyes darting back and forth between Danielle and the rapidly approaching Jasper. She seemed unsure whether she should stay or not.

Jasper finally came to a halt right in front of Danielle. The only sign that he was nervous came in the form of a gulp. Other than that, he was radiating nothing but pure determination.

"Can we talk?" he asked, his tone careful, but his eyes pleading.

Danielle immediately heard Tom's voice in her head. _If he tries to talk to you, listen to what he has to say_. Danielle was nervous as hell, but she cleared her throat and nodded her head. "Sure," she said. She glanced at Bella, who still lingered nearby, and motioning for her to continue on without her. "I'll see you in Spanish, okay?"

Bella slowly nodded. "Okay," she said. Bella gave Jasper one last look, then started to leave. She turned back whenever Jasper wasn't looking, however, and gave Danielle a discreet thumbs up. _Good luck¸_ she mouthed silently.

Now alone, Jasper gestured for Danielle to follow him off to the side, so that they wouldn't be standing right in the middle of the walkway anymore. Danielle went with him toward a spot where no other students were, where they would be able to talk without anyone overhearing them. Jasper came to a halt and turned to face her. Danielle stopped as well and crossed her arms over her chest, doing her best to keep her expression neutral.

For a long few moments, Jasper didn't say anything. He just looked at her, his eyes studying her face intently, his lips pressed together tightly. Considering the way he had approached her, she had thought he had planned out something to say to her. Now, however, it seemed like he didn't know how to put what was in his mind into words.

"Are you just gonna stand there?" Danielle finally asked. "Or did you have something to say to me?"

Jasper blinked, then cleared his throat. "I do have something to say to you," he confirmed with a nod. "Danielle…I'm sorry," he told her sincerely. "All I've been able to think about is what happened yesterday," he proceeded to admit. His eyes began to fill with regret now. "I hurt your feelings, I know I did. And I _hate_ myself for it."

Danielle said nothing for a moment, then sighed heavily. She felt as though she could feel every ounce of Jasper's guilt and regret, as if the emotions were her very own. It made _her_ feel guilty, too. Why should Jasper feel so guilty for turning her down? It wasn't _his_ fault that he didn't feel the same way she did.

"You don't have to apologize, Jasper. It's not your fault," she told him gently. Danielle then gave him a wry smile and shrugged. "Honestly, I wasn't expecting you to say yes," she admitted. "The rejection really wasn't much of a surprise. Deep down, I think I knew it was coming all along."

Jasper hesitated, then gave her a very serious look. "That's where you're wrong," he said. "I _wasn't_ rejecting you."

Danielle's brain instantly stopped functioning properly. She stared at him for a moment, completely caught off guard by what he had just said, her mouth opening and closing like a fish as she tried to make her vocal chords work again. "Wait…what do you mean?" she finally managed to ask.

Jasper raked a hand through his hair again, just like he had done the day before when she'd asked him to the dance. Danielle was beginning to suspect it was something he did whenever he was exceedingly nervous or frustrated.

"I already told you how I feel about school dances. I think they're awkward and _ridiculous_ , and I have _never_ felt the desire to attend them," he began to explain. Jasper paused, his gaze going a bit intense. "But this is different. _You_ are different," he said seriously, which made her heart skip a beat. "Believe me when I say that I would love nothing more than to go to that silly dance with you."

Danielle suddenly had to resist the urge to grin like an idiot. Jasper _wasn't_ rejecting her. Jasper _did_ want to go to the dance with her. "You do?"

Jasper nodded. "Yes." In the next moment, however, he frowned. "But just as I said yesterday, I'm not sure it's a good idea. I feel…" Jasper hesitated, then heaved. "I feel it might be… _unsafe._ "

As thrilled as Danielle was with this unexpected turned of events, she still frowned with confusion. "I'm sure there's gonna be chaperones, there," she said reassuringly, not sure she knew what Jasper was afraid of. "And I _seriously_ doubt someone's just gonna burst in and shoot up the place."

Jasper shook his head. "That's not what I'm worried about," he told her.

Danielle raised her brows unsurely. "What _are_ you worried about, then?"

"Going to a dance requires, well… _dancing_ ," he said, and for one stupid moment, she thought his hesitation was due to him thinking she would judge him for his dancing skills…or, perhaps, lack thereof. "Dancing requires getting very close to one another, and it means a lot of touching," he continued. "And that might make things… _difficult_ for me."

"I'm not following," Danielle admitted with a shake of her head. She was too caught up in the thought of spending an entire evening dancing with Jasper to understand whatever it was he was trying to tell her. How wonderful would it be, to be wrapped up in his arms? To be so close to him? To be surrounded by that wonderful piney scent as they slow danced together? It sounded downright heavenly.

Jasper closed his eyes for a moment, then gave her a serious look. "There's things that you don't know about me, Danielle. Things I haven't told you."

His words were enough to bring her daydreams to a screeching halt. "What do you mean?" she asked uncertainly. "What kind of things?"

Jasper hesitated. "Things that I'm not sure I want you to know about yet," he said with a shake of his head.

Danielle pressed her lips together tightly, not sure she knew how she should feel about what he had just said. Whatever this _secret_ of his was, it sounded serious. But what could it possibly be? Certainly it couldn't be anything _too_ bad, right?

She suddenly remembered something Jasper had said to her several weeks ago, when he'd been walking her to her mother's bookshop. He had mentioned that before he had been adopted, when he'd still been living in Texas, that he hadn't been in a very good situation. It made her wonder now if maybe this secret of his had something to do with his past. Had something happened to him? And if yes, was it the reason he was so reluctant to get too close to anyone? Did he not want to tell her because he was afraid it was something she might judge him for?

Danielle's head was filling with questions, questions that she now very much wanted the answers to. But when she saw the vulnerability in his eyes, she held her tongue. Jasper was clearly _way_ out of his comfort zone already – she didn't want to push things by trying to make him do something he didn't want to. She knew it would be torture, having all these unanswered questions in the back of her mind. But secrets or no, it didn't change the fact that she was crazy about Jasper. She was more than willing to wait for him.

"Okay," she finally said, nodding slowly.

Jasper gave her an uncertain look. "Okay?" he echoed, as if he had expected her to pry and was surprised that she wasn't.

"Yeah," Danielle said with a nod. "I mean, I'm not gonna lie and say I'm _not_ curious to know what exactly it is that you're talking about," she continued. "But if you're not ready to tell me about it, I won't try to make you."

Jasper gave her a long look, as if he didn't know what to make of her. "Why are you being so understanding of all this?" he finally asked, sounding completely confused.

Danielle just gave him a shrug. "Because I trust you, Jasper," she told him. "Because…because I _care_ about you."

Danielle pressed her lips together tightly after that. She hadn't meant to say that last part. It had just slipped out on its own. She held her breath as Jasper gulped again, waiting to hear what he had to say and praying she hadn't just put her foot in it again. Jasper stared at her intently, then finally sighed and shook his head, which made her heart freeze in her chest.

"I've never been in a situation like this before," Jasper revealed, motioning back and forth between them. "I've never allowed myself to become so… _involved_ …with someone. In fact, I've never _wanted_ to become involved with anyone. But like I said, you're _different_." Jasper paused. "I…I care about you, too, Danielle. You're not just a friend to me. You're… _more_ than that," he then told her quietly, which made her heart instantly soar. "But I don't know where we go from here," he said. "I don't know how to handle this. I don't – "

"Jasper," she interjected gently, which made him fall silent. "This is all new to me, too," she admitted. She had never had an actual boyfriend before, and though she wouldn't dare go as far as to say that Jasper was her boyfriend now, she didn't think it seemed too farfetched to believe they might now be headed down that road. She didn't want to rush anything. She didn't want to _mess up_ anything. "We don't have to figure everything out right this second, okay? There's no rush here," Danielle continued reassuringly. "Why don't we just…take it one day at a time?"

Jasper took a long moment to contemplate what she had said, then, to her relief, he finally gave her a small smile. "I can agree with that plan," he told her with a nod of his head.

Danielle grinned. After a moment, she shook her head in bemusement. This day had ended up going a _completely_ different way than what she had anticipated. When she had woken up that morning, she had fully expected that Jasper wouldn't want to even _look_ at her, let alone talk to her. That wasn't what had happened though. They had talked things through. They had worked it out. And the cherry on top? They had admitted their _real_ feelings to one another. It was more than she could have ever hoped for.

"I am _so_ glad I didn't skip school today," she mused aloud, just knowing that she looked like a love-struck puppy as she stared into Jasper's amber colored eyes.

Jasper smirked. "You were going to skip?"

"After making such a colossal _fool_ of myself yesterday? You better believe I was thinking about it," she said with a scoff.

Jasper frowned a bit. "If anyone was being a fool, it was _me_ ," he said.

Danielle just gave him a look. "How about we just say that we were _both_ fools and leave it at that?" she suggested.

Jasper nodded. "Alright," he agreed, though he still didn't look convinced.

A brief silence passed between them. Jasper stared at her intently, his eyes fixed on hers as if trying to peer into her very soul. Danielle just smiled back at him, delighted with the way things had gone and thanking her lucky stars for being on her side. Tom had been right after all, which probably shouldn't have been a surprise seeing as Tom was usually right about _everything_. She made a mental note to text him the moment she got a chance and tell him how well everything had played out between her and Jasper.

"Thank you for talking with me," Jasper finally said to break the silence. "After what happened yesterday, I thought…" He paused, as if he wasn't sure how much he should reveal. Finally, he seemed to decide to just say it. "I was afraid maybe I had… _lost_ you," he admitted seriously, his tone betraying just how worried he had truly been.

Danielle momentarily forgot how to breathe. "I'm not going _anywhere_ , Jasper," she finally told him, giving him a small smile. "I'm not _that_ easy to get rid of."

Jasper smiled, looking relieved. Then, completely out of nowhere, Danielle was hit with such a strong rush of affection that it damn near knocked the wind out of her. The feeling faded as quickly as it had arrived, leaving her to shake her head in complete and utter confusion and look at Jasper with dazed eyes, unsure what exactly had just happened. What the hell _was_ that? And why did things like this always seem to happen around Jasper? Was she losing her damned _mind_?

The bell finally rang, which pulled Danielle away from her confused thoughts. They had been standing there talking for a while. It was time to get to class. "I believe that's our cue," Jasper said, frowning a bit as he glanced at the school.

Danielle sighed with disappointment, then nodded. The prospect of staying outside with Jasper, where they could talk and be alone, sounded far more appealing than going to class, but she knew they didn't really have a choice in the matter.

Together, the turned and started to slowly make their way toward the front doors, following the crowd of students that was now making their way out of the parking lot and heading inside. The two of them shuffled along with their classmates, walking close to one another, shooting small, discreet smiles at one another whenever they caught each other sneaking looks. Danielle was so happy she felt like she was walking on air, and if the smile still playing on Jasper's lips was any indicator, _he_ was happy, too.

Once they were in the school, they started toward Danielle's locker first. When they passed by a big sign for the Spring Fling, she was struck with the realization that she still didn't know if they were actually going to the dance or not.

"So wait," Danielle said, looking at Jasper curiously. "Just to clarify…are we or are we not going to the dance?"

Jasper blinked with what seemed like surprise, as if he had momentarily forgotten about the dance altogether. Considering the direction their conversation had gone, she couldn't blame him for forgetting about it. He looked down at her and quirked an uncertain brow. "You really want to go?" he asked.

"Only if you do," Danielle said with a shrug.

Jasper took a moment to think about it, his expression a bit hesitant. Finally, he nodded. "Alright, then," he said. "We'll go."

Danielle fought the urge to grin with joy, instead raising her bows at Jasper questioningly. "You're sure?" she asked. "I know you weren't really sold on the idea. I don't wanna make you do something you don't really want to."

Jasper gave her a look. "Danielle," he said, his tone gentle, but firm. "It's fine. We'll go to the dance."

Danielle _did_ grin then. Jasper smiled back, then turned his eyes forward again.

Suddenly, Jasper stopped. Something down the hall had caught his attention, making him freeze in place. Danielle stopped next to him and frowned with confusion, before following his gaze to see what he was looking at. It didn't take long for her to discover what had caught Jasper's eye, however, and when she did, she felt her stomach immediately turn uneasily.

Rosalie and Alice, Jasper's sisters, were standing a little ways down the hallway. Both of the beautiful girls had spotted them, and though Alice – whom Danielle still had not formally met – was eyeing her and Jasper with a little smile on her lips, the same could not be said for Rosalie. The blonde had her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her eyes narrowed with disapproval as she looked first at Jasper, then at Danielle. After a moment, she scoffed and shook her head, before storming off. Alice hesitated, then quickly hurried after her.

Danielle and Jasper watched the two go, before turning a look on each other. "And you say Rosalie _doesn't_ hate me?" Danielle asked with skepticism.

"Just ignore her," Jasper said, looking none too pleased with the way his sister was behaving. "I'll have a talk with her later." Danielle started to tell him that wasn't necessary, that she didn't want there to be even _more_ drama with Rosalie, but before she got the chance to say anything, Jasper motioned her forward with a nod of his head. "Let's go before we're late for class."

Danielle hesitated, then finally nodded and followed him.

* * *

Once she was able to do as Jasper had suggested and push any thoughts of Rosalie to the back of her mind, everything got much better again. Was she still vaguely aware of the dark looks being tossed her direction from Jasper's twin during first period? Of course she was – there was no way she _wouldn't_ be able to acknowledge the fact that Rosalie seemed to be doing her best to burn holes into Danielle's head with her eyes. But Rosalie sending her death glares wasn't anything new, to be honest, and considering how _incredible_ of a morning Danielle was having, she didn't think there was anything in the world that could have dampened her spirits. Nothing was going to rain on her parade today. Not even Rosalie Hale and the glaringly obvious dislike that she harbored for Danielle.

She ignored Rosalie's presence in first period, and noticed – but didn't care – that Jordan had switched seats in second period, so that he was no longer sitting behind her. Other than that, her focus was solely on Jasper. Danielle smiled like an idiot during both class and kept sneaking glances at him every two seconds. Paying attention to her teachers proved to be an impossible feat, so much so that she eventually gave up altogether. How was she supposed to focus on schoolwork when Jasper was sitting right next to her, looking insanely gorgeous and shooting her smiles whenever the teacher wasn't looking? It was impossible.

"You're bad for my education," Danielle commented after English was over and they were headed toward her third period class.

"How so?" Jasper asked with amusement.

"Because you're distracting," Danielle told him bluntly. "I couldn't tell you _one thing_ that either of our teachers said in the last two classes," she admitted.

Jasper smirked, and if she wasn't mistaken, he looked mighty pleased with himself. He gave her a nonchalant shrug. "I'm sorry," he said, though she didn't think he sounded all that apologetic. "But just so you know," he continued. Jasper suddenly leaned a bit closer, so that he was speaking almost directly into her ear. "You're not the only one who was distracted this morning," he confessed suggestively.

Danielle flushed bright red, not sure which affected her more – his close proximity, that piney scent that always made her brain go a little fuzzy, or the sound of his deep, smooth voice in her ear. It was the first time Jasper had been openly flirtatious with her, and the effect it had on her was palpable. "You're making me blush," she said, stating the obvious.

"You blush quite a bit, in case you hadn't noticed," he said, his tone teasing now.

"Trust me, I'm aware," Danielle shot back. "It's one of the downfalls of being a redhead. Blushing is as easy as _breathing_ for me."

Jasper's smirk widened. "Want to know a secret?" he asked.

Danielle looked at him, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the gleam in his pretty eyes. She waited with bated breath, eager to hear _anything_ he had to say to her. But before he had a chance to say anything, a new voice beat him to the punch.

"Well, well, _well_ ," someone said behind them, making them both jump in surprise. They looked back to see that Emmett had appeared and was walking behind them, though Danielle had no idea how long he had been there for. She would guess he'd been there long enough, since he was looking at them with what she could only describe as a big, shit-eating grin. "What do we have _here_?" he taunted.

Danielle blushed for a new reason now, while Jasper shot his bigger, taller brother an annoyed look. "I'm walking Danielle to class, just as I always do," he said evenly.

Emmett's eyes were sparkling with amusement as he pushed his way between them, much to the dismay of both Danielle _and_ Jasper. "Is that so?" he asked, before turning his attention to Danielle. "Is this guy bothering you, Dani?" he asked, jerking his thumb toward Jasper. "You want me to rough him up for you?"

Jasper heaved and rolled his eyes, which just seem to tickle Emmett even more. Even though part of her was a bit disappointed that Emmett had interrupted when he had, she couldn't help but laugh a bit at her friend's antics. It was obvious that he took great pleasure in giving his brother a hard time. It was also obvious that Jasper didn't care for it very much. Deciding to come to Jasper's defense, Danielle stopped laughing and quirked a brow at Emmett.

"What if _you're_ the one who's bothering me, Em?" she countered. "Who do I get to rough _you_ up?"

Jasper smirked and immediately gestured toward himself. "I would be _more_ than happy to volunteer for that responsibility," he told her with a nod, which made Danielle laugh again.

Emmett huffed and shoved his brother's shoulder. "I'd like to see you try, _Jazzy-poo_ ," he challenged. Danielle snorted amusedly at the nickname Emmett had given his brother.

Jasper raised his brows and shoved Emmett back. "Are you forgetting how many times I've put you in your place in the past, _brother_?" he shot back.

Emmett shoved him yet again and started to say something else in response, but Danielle finally stepped in front of them and held a hand up to make them both be quiet. Jasper and Emmett looked at her with raised brows. "Alright, boys. There's _way_ too much testosterone flying around right now," she said authoritatively. "Knock it off. _Both_ of you," she added with emphasis.

Emmett shared a look with Jasper, then snorted. "You sound like our _mother_ ," he said accusingly, before moving past her and continuing on.

Danielle looked at Jasper, who just shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry. Emmett and I tend to get a little… _competitive_ with each other," he admitted as they resumed walking next to one another, trailing behind Emmett as he led the way to History.

"I can see that," she said with a smirk. "I'm sure your parents just _love_ it," she added jokingly.

"Course they do," Jasper confirmed, though the way Emmett chuckled ahead of them and the twinkle in Jasper's eye told her that wasn't even close to being true.

Eventually the time came when they reached her and Emmett's next class. Emmett said goodbye to Jasper and strode into the classroom, but Danielle lingered outside. She wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to him yet. Not for the first time, she found herself wishing they had more classes together, just so she could see more of him throughout the day.

"You'll sit with me at lunch today?" she asked hopefully.

Jasper nodded and smiled. "It would be a privilege and an honor."

"Great," Danielle said, smiling widely. She glanced around, saw that the halls were starting to empty out, and knew it was almost time for class to start. "You should get going before you're late," she suggested, even though the last thing she wanted was for him to leave. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

Jasper nodded, then, after one last lingering look, he finally strode off. Danielle sighed happily to herself, then went into her History class.

As she eased into her seat, she was not the least bit surprised to see the knowing smirk that Emmett was shooting her way. Danielle calmly unpacked her things for class, unable to wipe the smile that seemed permanently etched into her face. When a few seconds passed and Emmett still had not turned his gaze from her, she looked over at him questioningly.

"Something on your mind?" she asked.

Emmett's smirk grew. "You and Jasper looked pretty chummy," he commented. "I take it your talk this morning went well? Things are back to normal now?"

Danielle cocked an eyebrow. "You know about everything that happened?"

Emmett huffed. "Dani, he's my _brother_ ," he reminded her. "Believe it or not, we actually _talk_ to each other and turn to each other for advice when we need it," he told her a bit sarcastically. "And when it comes to Jasper needing advice about _you_ , who in the Cullen family do you think he goes to?" he concluded with a meaningful look.

Danielle made a sound of understanding. Of _course_ Jasper would turn to Emmett for advice. Of everyone who lived within the boundaries of Forks, Washington, Emmett Cullen was in the top five when it came to people who knew her the best. It made perfect sense that Jasper would go to him to figure out the best way to mend things between them.

"You make a good point," Danielle told him with a nod. "And to answer your question, yes, we talked. And yes, it went very well. Things are definitely back to normal," she told him. But then she thought about everything she and Jasper had discussed, and how different everything had felt between them since. She smiled bashfully, her cheeks turning a bit pink. "Actually, things are _better_ than normal."

Emmett smiled, and this time there was no sarcasm or teasing behind it. He seemed genuinely pleased. "So then what happens next?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know," Danielle told him honestly, her shoulders shrugging. "We'll just have to wait and see, I guess."

Emmett nodded his understanding "Well, just so you know, you've got _my_ support in all this," he told her with a firm nod. "There are… _some_ …in the family who might not see things the same way I do," he continued, and she had a very strong feeling he was referring to Rosalie. "But I've seen a huge change in Jasper since you came along. A _good_ change," he clarified. "This is the happiest I've seen him in a really, _really_ long time. And at the end of the day, that's all I want for my brother. For him to be happy. That's all I want for _you,_ too," he told her seriously. "So whatever happens from here on out…I'm rooting for you guys."

Danielle felt of rush of both gratitude and fondness for the Cullen sitting next to her. Emmett was usually a sarcastic, cocky, and, at times, _annoying_ goofball who didn't take a lot of things very seriously. But there _were_ times, like _now_ , where he showed a more serious, heartfelt side to himself. The truth of the matter was that Emmett Cullen could be downright _sweet_ when he really wanted to be.

"Wow," she said, having to clear her throat. "Thanks, Em," Danielle said, giving him a grateful smile.

Emmett just smirked and inclined his head. "You're welcome."

* * *

It was a little easier to concentrate in History because Jasper wasn't there, but not by much. For the most part, Danielle was able to listen to the teacher and actually process what she was teaching. But there were a number of times where she caught herself tuning the teacher out completely, her mind filling with thoughts of Jasper while she absentmindedly doodled little hearts on the corner of the paper she was supposed to be taking notes on. Just the mere thought of him made her smile to herself, made her heart flutter in her chest. Was he thinking about her too, she wondered? Was he just as eager to see her again as _she_ was to see _him_ again?

When History was over, she said goodbye to Emmett and headed toward Spanish. It was a class that she _always_ hoped would go by quickly, simply because by the time she made it to fourth period, she was almost always starving and eager to get to lunch. Today, however, she was anxious for Spanish to pass by quickly so that she could reunite with Jasper, who she missed probably more than was acceptable at the present moment. It was silly, of course, to miss him when he was in the same building and she was so close to seeing him again, but she just couldn't help it.

Usually Bella beat her to Spanish and was already sitting in her seat by the time Danielle arrived. Today, however, she was surprised to see that Bella was waiting for her outside the classroom, shifting anxiously from foot to foot. When she spotted Danielle, she immediately rushed to meet her halfway.

"I've been _dying_ to talk to you all morning," she said once they were standing in front of each other. "What happened with Jasper after I left?" she then asked, looking very eager to know. "Is everything okay?"

Danielle grinned and nodded her head. "Everything is _great_ ," she said. She quickly summarized what they had talked about, not wanting to go into _too_ much detail simply because there were certain parts of that conversation that she felt had been just for _them_ to know about. When she was finished, she smiled again. "So everything is good, _really_ good, and Jasper and I are going to the dance together," she concluded. "All is right in the world again."

Bella gave her a relieved look. "I'm really glad to hear that, Dani," she told her earnestly. "Seriously, I am. I felt so bad for you when you told me what happened. I'm _really_ glad you guys talked everything out."

"Me too," Danielle agreed.

"So what now?" Bella asked as they walked into class together and slid into their desks. "Are you guys…" She paused and glanced around, then leaned forward. "Are you guys together now?" Bella asked, lowering her voice so nobody would be able to eavesdrop.

Danielle shrugged. "Technically? No, I don't think so," she answered. "We're just taking things one day at a time right now."

"Got it," Bella said, nodding in understanding.

The bell rang after that, and Danielle had never been so happy for Spanish to start. She settled in and focused on the teacher, thinking that maybe if she paid really close attention that the time would go by faster. That worked for all of about five minutes before she found her eyes drifting to the clock hanging above the chalkboard. _Five minutes down, forty-five to go_ , she thought to herself. But who was counting, right?

Between constantly watching the clock and her own growing impatience, Spanish absolutely _dragged_. But finally, _mercifully_ , the bell rang and it was time to go to lunch. Danielle quickly packed her things, then practically jumped out of her seat. She and Bella left class together and started making their way to the cafeteria, but in her eagerness to get to lunch and see Jasper, Danielle set a quick pace that left Bella struggling to keep up.

"Dani, slow down!" Bella pleaded. "Your legs are longer than mine! I can barely keep up with you!"

Danielle flushed a bit and gave her a sheepish smile as she forced herself to slow down. "Sorry. I'm just – "

"Ready to see Jasper again?" Bella interjected, accurately predicting what Danielle had been about to say. "I don't blame you. I'd probably be the same way if I was in your shoes."

They walked in silence for a moment, this time walking much slower. Danielle looked over at Bella and noticed that her friend had a pensive look on her face now, as if she had started thinking about something. That something, whatever it was, appeared to be bothering her a bit.

"What's on your mind?" Danielle asked, nudging her with her elbow.

Bella blinked and looked at Danielle, then sighed. "I was thinking about…" She trailed off, then shook her head. "Never mind. It's not important."

Danielle gave her a knowing look. She'd seen this sort of evasiveness from Bella before, and they'd had this conversation – or, rather, _non-_ conversation – enough times for her to know _exactly_ what Bella was thinking about. "You're thinking about Edward, aren't you?" Bella hesitated, then nodded. "Has anything changed with him? Anything at all?" Danielle asked.

"No," Bella answered. "He just keeps on ignoring me, like he does every single day."

Danielle sighed and shook her head. "I've said it before but I'll say it again – I just don't _get_ it," she said with a clueless shrug. "What's his deal?"

Bella shook her head. "If I knew, we wouldn't be having this conversation," she replied dryly.

Danielle pursed her lips thoughtfully as they walked, before turning a look on Bella. "Do you want me to try asking Jasper what's going on with him?" she offered.

" _No_ ," Bella denied at once. "You've already tried asking him _and_ Emmett, and neither of them had an explanation. If you keep asking him, he might tell Edward. And the _last_ thing I want is for Edward to think that I'm pestering people for information about him," she explained quickly. "So thank you, but… _no_."

Danielle nodded. "Alright, I won't say anything," she promised, holding up a hand in surrender. "But if you change your mind, the offer is still on the table. All you have to do is ask and I'll start snooping around."

Bella gave her a halfhearted smile. "Thanks."

They bumped into Angela and Jessica again a few minutes later, who joined them on their journey to the cafeteria. Angela told them that she had spoken to Eric and Mike about their upcoming trip out to La Push and that she had more details about the get together. Mike's father owned a store in town, and the plan was to meet there around ten in the morning on Saturday before they would all carpool to La Push. They were going to go to a beach called First Beach, where they would have a picnic, surf, hike, and just generally have as much fun as possible. It sounded like it was shaping up to be an all day affair.

While Angela explained all the details, Danielle was suddenly struck with the idea to invite Jasper to tag along. She hadn't thought about it the day before because she'd been worried about other things at the time, but now that things were good between her and Jasper, she thought it would be really nice to have him there with her. Sure, he didn't know the others and might feel awkward, but she didn't think it would hurt to try. It would be the perfect excuse to hang out with him outside of school.

Danielle made up her mind quickly. She was going to invite Jasper to join them in La Push.

They reached the cafeteria, and to Danielle's delight, she saw, once again, that Jasper was already there and had already claimed their table. She signaled that she would be there shortly – she mentally patted herself on the back for learning from her mistake the previous day – and followed her friends to the lunch line to get food. While they made their way through the lunch line, she noticed that Jessica seemed much quieter than she normally was. She hadn't said two words, and there was a distinctly sad look in her eyes. There definitely seemed to be something off with her, but Danielle didn't bother asking about it. She wasn't as close with Jessica as she was with Bella and Angela and didn't want to pry, nor was she even sure that the girl would want to tell her what was bothering her in the first place.

Once she had her food, she said goodbye to her friends and headed toward Jasper, determined to get there before anyone could stop her. Unfortunately, she didn't succeed. She made it only about five steps when a very pretty girl with short, dark hair and a friendly smile practically appeared from out of nowhere. Danielle stopped in surprise.

It was Alice Cullen.

"Hi," she said, smiling brightly.

Danielle, confused, glanced over her shoulder for a moment, just to make sure that there was no one behind her and that Alice was _actually_ talking to _her_ and not someone else. When she saw that nobody was behind her, she turned back to Alice, who was still smiling at her.

"Er…hi," Danielle said unsurely.

"I'm Alice, Jasper's sister," she introduced herself.

"I know," Danielle said without thinking about it. When she remembered that that wasn't how she was supposed to respond in situations like this, she tried again. "I'm Danielle," she told her.

"I know," Alice echoed. She tilted her head curiously, her eyes narrowing a bit with thought. Danielle noticed that just like all of her brothers, she too had amber colored eyes. _Strange that they all have the same eye color when most of them aren't really related,_ she thought to herself.

"What do you like to be called?" Alice asked, drawing her from her thoughts. "Jasper always calls you Danielle, but I hear everyone else call you Dani," she pointed out. "Which do you prefer?" she asked.

Danielle blinked with surprise – it was only now that she was realizing that Jasper _was_ the only person she knew who still called her Danielle. She found herself wondering why that was. "Erm, you can call me Dani if you want," Danielle answered.

Alice smiled brightly again. "Okay," she said with a nod. "Sorry to catch you off guard," she then apologized. "I've just heard so many good things about you from Jasper and Emmett. Jasper talks about you so much I feel like I already _know_ you," she admitted with a tinkling laugh. "I've been dying to meet you, so I finally decided to just come over here and introduce myself."

Hearing Alice say that made Danielle smile and glance toward Jasper. He was watching them closely, looking mildly alarmed by the fact that she was currently talking to his sister. "Well, I'm happy to finally meet you," Danielle said, shifting her attention back to Alice. "I've heard a lot of good things about you, too." Which was _mostly_ true – Jasper and Emmett always spoke highly of her, but every one else in school thought Alice was pretty weird.

"Oh, that's good," Alice said. She still hadn't stopped smiling. "Most people seem to think I'm strange, so it's nice to know at least _someone_ is saying something good about me."

Danielle blinked at her, then smiled, finding that she kind of liked how blunt and straightforward Alice was. "Strange isn't necessarily a _bad_ thing," Danielle offered. "As a good friend of mine has said many, many times, normal people are _boring_ ," she joked, thinking back to all the times she heard Tom say that in conversation.

Alice laughed that same, tinkling laugh, her eyes shining with humor. "I like the way you and your friend think, Dani," she said. "Normal people _are_ boring, aren't they?"

Danielle nodded, then unconsciously glanced toward Jasper again. He was still watching them, though now he looked as though he was contemplating coming over to see what they were talking about. Alice, noticing Danielle's distraction, followed Danielle's gaze to her brother. When she turned back to face Danielle, she raised her brows.

"Jasper looks a little anxious," she said observantly. "Perhaps we should go and see him?"

Danielle, who didn't need to be asked twice, nodded. "Sure."

With that, they began walking toward the table Jasper was sitting at. Alice walked next to her, hands clasped together, her eyes studying Danielle with interest. "How do you like Forks, Dani?" she asked conversationally.

"It's nice," Danielle answered. "I mean, it was a bit _weird_ at first, but I feel like I've settled in pretty well."

"It's very different from Houston, though," Alice commented. It didn't shock Danielle that Alice knew where she was from. "The gloom and the cold don't bother you?"

Danielle thought about it, then shrugged. "I _do_ miss the sun," she admitted. There hadn't been one truly sunny day since she had moved to Forks, which was a bit depressing. She was almost starting to forget what the sun looked like, and what it felt like to feel its warmth on her skin. "I'm getting used to the weather out here, though. The rain isn't quite as annoying as it used to be, and the cold isn't quite as unbearable these days." She paused, then gave Alice a curious look. "When does it start to warm up around here?"

"It'll be a while yet, unfortunately. And if you're looking for a _Texas_ kind of warmth, I'm afraid you won't find anything like that here," Alice said with a smirk.

Danielle gave her a look. "Trust me, I'm okay with that. Texas heat is _brutal_. Getting away from triple digit temperatures was about the only thing that I looked forward to when my mom and I moved," she assured Alice firmly.

Alice grinned. "Then it sounds like you've come to the right place, then, because you'll never have to deal with that here."

They finally reached the table where Jasper sat, and almost immediately, he stood from his chair. He gave his sister a look that seemed mildly suspicious, then shifted his attention to Danielle. "Hello again," he said, giving her a smile that told her he was happy to see her.

"Hi," she said with a grin, setting her tray and her books down on the table. "I finally met your sister," she added, nodding toward Alice.

Jasper looked at Alice again, his smile faltering a bit. Alice just looked back at him, her expression perfectly innocent. "Yes, I can see that," he said slowly. "I had planned to introduce you to her myself, but it seems _someone_ was too impatient to wait," he told her, his eyes never leaving Alice.

Alice tilted her head at him, one brow arching upward. "I _told_ you I wanted to meet her and you kept saying no," she said with slight exasperation. "So I finally just decided to take matters into my own hands," she finished with a shrug, looing thoroughly unapologetic.

Danielle looked at Jasper in surprise. "Why did you tell her she couldn't meet me?" she asked.

Jasper quickly looked at her. "I didn't tell her she couldn't meet you," he clarified. "What I told her was that I didn't want her to meet you _yet_."

"But why?" Danielle asked again, still not fully understanding.

Jasper started to answer, but Alice beat him to the punch. "Basically Jasper knew that if we met we'd become friends," she interjected with a sweet smile. "And he didn't want me hanging around stealing all your attention away from _him_."

 _"_ _Alice_ ," Jasper said sharply, looking both exasperated and embarrassed now.

Danielle pressed her lips together, trying very hard to resist the urge to laugh. Something told her Jasper, who seemed embarrassed enough as it was, wouldn't appreciate her laughing at him on top of it. It was official, though – weird or not, she liked Alice Cullen. She was nice, but also seemed to have a hefty dose of sassiness to her. Danielle had a feeling that she'd probably be a lot of fun to hang out with.

There was a moment of silence where Jasper glared at his sister, who smiled back at him serenely, and where Danielle glanced back and forth between the two, doing her best to hamper down her amusement. Finally, she cleared her throat and looked at Alice.

"Will you be joining us for lunch?" she asked. Really, she would have rather had lunch with just Jasper. But seeing as Alice was standing right there, inviting her to join them seemed like the polite thing to do.

"Well, since you asked – " Alice began to say.

"No, she won't," Jasper quickly interjected, which made Danielle and Alice both raise their brows at him. "You have somewhere to be, don't you, Alice?" he then asked pointedly, the gleam in his eyes clearly telling her to scram.

Alice seemed like she wanted to say something for a moment, but then she just smirked and nodded. "Yes, I do," she confirmed. Danielle was pretty sure that she was lying and just saying that to appease her annoyed brother. "Thank you for the invitation, though."

"No problem," Danielle said.

When Jasper gave Alice another look, she finally took a step to leave. "I'll leave you two alone now. Have a nice lunch," she said. "Oh, and Dani?" she added. "I hope we can talk again soon."

Danielle smiled. "Me too."

Alice left after that, practically gliding away as she went to reclaim her seat at the normal Cullen table. As Danielle and Jasper sat down, Danielle couldn't help but give Jasper an amused look. When he saw the way she was looking at him, he heaved.

"I wasn't trying to keep you from meeting her, I promise," he insisted. "I just know how Alice can get. Sometimes she says things she isn't supposed to, and I was afraid she might…scare you away," he admitted.

"I'm not upset, Jasper," she told him reassuringly. "In fact, I thought the whole thing was kinda funny."

Jasper pulled a sour face. "Well, at least _one_ of us did," he grumbled. He shot a glance in his sister's direction, then shook his head. "Let's talk about something else," he suggested, clearly not wanting to spend their time together discussing Alice. "How has your day been?"

Danielle smiled brightly and nodded her head. "It's been great, though I've been super distracted," she admitted, reaching for the sandwich she'd bought for lunch and taking a bite. She chewed for a moment, then swallowed her food and flashed Jasper a playful smirk. "Some really great guy told me he liked me and that he wanted to go to the dance with me. It's put me in such a good mood that I can't really focus on anything else."

Jasper raised his brows, as if surprised to hear her say that, then smiled widely, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Is that so?" he asked. Danielle nodded in confirmation. "Well, I think this guy, whoever he is, sounds very bad for your education," he teased, throwing her words from earlier back at her.

"Oh yes, absolutely _horrible,"_ Danielle agreed. "But I still like him."

"I'm sure he's very happy to hear that," Jasper said matter-of-factly.

They shared a smile, both amused by their little inside joke. Danielle shifted in her seat after a moment, then felt her heart jump when her knee brushed against his. One of his eyebrows lifted just a fraction of an inch at the contact, but he didn't move his knee away from hers. Danielle didn't move her knee either.

After eating some more food, she peered at Jasper questioningly. "Do you have plans for this weekend?" she asked remembering her previous decision to invite him to the beach outing.

Jasper shrugged. "Emmett and Edward are planning a long hiking trip, and they've asked me to come along. I haven't decided if I want to go, though. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was talking to Angela about the beach trip on my way here and got some more details. We're leaving at ten on Saturday morning, and we're probably gonna be there for most of the day. There's gonna be surfing and hiking and a picnic," she listed off. Jasper nodded as he listened to her. "So I was wondering…are you interested in coming along?"

Jasper's expression quickly turned to one of uncertainty as he considered the offer. "You said you're going to La Push?" Danielle nodded in confirmation. Jasper then pursed his lips. "I don't know, Danielle," he said hesitantly. "I've never been much of a beach person myself. And I don't really know anyone in that group."

"You know _me_ ," she argued.

Jasper smiled a bit. "That is true," he conceded. "But a few of the people going seem to have _strong opinions_ when it comes to my family," he reminded her. "I'm not so sure they'd appreciate me tagging along."

"If I told them to play nice, they would," Danielle assured him. "Besides, this would be a good opportunity for them to a finally get to _know_ you. I'm sure those opinions might change a bit if they actually had a chance to talk to you."

Jasper wasn't convinced though. "I appreciate you offering, but I don't think I should go," he gently declined. "In fact, I should probably tell my brothers that I'll go hiking with them. I think they'd be upset if I ditched them to go frolicking on the beach with you."

Danielle smirked. "I'm sure they'll get over it."

Jasper quirked a brow "You do realize we're talking about Emmett here, right?" he pointed out. "He'd never let me hear the end of it."

Danielle laughed a bit. "I guess you're right." She sighed, then nodded, feeling slightly disappointed. "Alright, fine," she gave in. "You're off the hook. Go have family bonding time with your brothers this weekend."

Jasper leaned a little closer and gave her a small smile. "You'll still have plenty of fun without me," he said reassuringly.

"Yeah," Danielle agreed. "But I'd have a lot _more_ fun _with_ you," she insisted, giving him a meaningful look.

The smile on Jasper's face faded some, and his gaze suddenly seemed a bit more intense than it just had been. It made Danielle's breath catch in her throat. "I'll make it up to you," Jasper told her, his deep, smooth voice sending pleasant shivers down her spine. "I promise."

Danielle couldn't seem to remember how to speak for a moment. Finally, she nodded. "O-Okay."

Jasper just smirked at her, then relaxed in his seat again. "So," he said, his tone easy and conversational now. "Are you going to try surfing?"

It took a second, but Danielle was eventually able to get her brain working properly again so that she could respond. From there, they had a perfectly normal conversation, talking about surfing and hiking and whatever else came to mind while they ate lunch. Well… _Danielle_ ate lunch, anyway. Jasper just picked at his food, as he always tended to do. She had expressed concern over his apparent lack of appetite once or twice, but he always just waved off her concerns and insisted that there was nothing to worry about, that he just didn't have a big appetite at this time of day. Danielle had eventually gotten to the point where she stopped bringing it up altogether.

After lunch was over, Jasper walked with her to her locker so she could get her books for Physics, then insisted on escorting her to class. She pointed out the fact that it would probably make him late for his _own_ class, but he didn't seem care. He simply reached over, grabbed her things so that she wouldn't have to carry them, then set off toward her class. Danielle smiled to herself, then, since she didn't have any other choice, she went with him. When he finally dropped her off at Physics, he left her with a sweet smile that had her daydreaming for the rest of the class period.

* * *

By the time Gym rolled around, Danielle's mood had not dampened in the slightest. She was still smiling to herself and still walking with a bounce in her step. She stepped into the girl's locker room, humming a song under her breath, and made quick work of changing into her gym clothes. Just as she finished changing and started to store her normal clothes and her physics book into her gym locker, Bella came storming in. She set her Biology book on the bench that ran between the rows of lockers with a loud _BANG_ , then roughly opened up her locker to start yanking out of her gym clothes. Danielle, who had frozen on the spot in surprise at her friend's noisy arrival, raised her brows with uncertainty.

"Bella?" she asked tentatively. "Everything okay?"

Bella looked over at her, her eyes alight with anger and annoyance. "No, everything is _not_ okay," she said with a heave.

"Care to elaborate?" Danielle persisted.

Bella heaved again, then sat down heavily on the bench. She shook her head, then gave Danielle a helpless look. "Edward finally spoke to me," she revealed, which made Danielle's eyes go wide. "And it did _not_ go well," she added, her expression going sour again.

Danielle sighed and sat down on the bench next to her. "Tell me what happened. I'm all ears," she said with a nod.

Bella shook her head in frustration, then launched into the story. "There I was, just sitting there minding my own business while Edward ignored me, just like he always does," she began. "Suddenly Mike comes out of nowhere and says that Jess asked him to the Spring Fling, but that he hadn't given her an answer yet because he wanted to know if _I_ had plans to ask him." Well, that explained why Jessica hadn't been in a good mood. "So I tell him that I'm not going because I'm going to be in Seattle that day – " Bella continued.

"You are?" Danielle interjected with confusion.

"I figured it was the best way to get out of having to go to the dance," she explained quickly. "Anyway, I tell him I'm going to be in Seattle and that he should go with Jessica. Mike says he will and then goes to sit down. Suddenly I look over and Edward is just _staring_ at me," she said, her brows furrowing together. "Like, _intense_ staring. Like there's something about me he can't figure out and it frustrates the hell out of him."

Danielle said nothing, just nodded her understanding as her friend continue to talk.

"When class is over, I fully expect him to just get up and leave like he always does. But he doesn't. He suddenly starts talking to me, saying how he knows he's been acting really rude by ignoring me, but how it's better if we don't talk and if we're not friends," she revealed.

Danielle frowned with confusion. "But why?" she asked.

Bella threw her hands up. "I don't _know_. It doesn't make any sense," she said with frustration. "So of course I got mad and said something I shouldn't have, which just made things even _worse_."

Danielle titled her head unsurely. "What did you say?"

Bella hesitated, looking a bit embarrassed now. "I said…" She paused, then heaved. "I said that if he didn't want to be friends, then it was too bad he hadn't figured it out earlier. Then he wouldn't have had to spend all this time regretting the fact that he saved my life."

Danielle looked at her sharply, her jaw dropping in shock. "You seriously _said_ that?" she asked incredulously. When Bella nodded, Danielle immediately whacked her shoulder. "Bella!" she chastised.

"Ow!" Bella said, rubbing her shoulder with a sour look. "That hurt!"

"Good! You deserved it! That was a really rude thing to say!" she scolded. "Why the hell would he regret something like that?"

"I don't know!" Bella said with exasperation. "I don't know why I said it, okay? I'm just… _irritated_ with him. I mean, the guy _saves my life_ one day, then spends every day for the next month and half completely ignoring me and treating me like I've got some contagious, flesh-eating bacteria. Then, out of the blue, he decides to start talking to me again and starts saying a bunch of things that don't make any sense? I mean…how am I _supposed_ to feel about that? Like I'm dancing on rainbows?" she asked angrily.

"Look, I get why you're angry, I do," Danielle said understandingly. "But fighting with Edward won't make things better. I mean…don't you want to at least _try_ to talk things out with him?"

"I _have_ tried, and it's never gotten me anywhere," Bella reminded her pointedly. She then shook her head and scoffed, her brows still stitched together with irritation. "After what happened today, I'm not so sure I _want_ to try to work things out anymore. If he's going to be a confusing jerk, I don't want anything to do with him," she said with a note of finality.

Danielle just sighed in response, unable to think of anything to say back.

The coach stepped into the locker room after that and called for everyone to get to the gym, effectively putting an end to their conversation about Edward. After Bella changed, they joined the rest of the class in the gymnasium, where they spent the rest of the class playing a slow-moving, low-scoring game of basketball. Danielle tried to put some effort into it, but Bella, who was clearly still thinking about Edward, was distracted the whole class period and ended up accomplishing little more than a number of clumsy, ungraceful tumbles to the ground, sometimes falling on her own, other times managing to take down a few people with her. By the end of the class period, Danielle could see a number of bruises appearing on her knees and elbows.

When school ended, they changed back into their normal clothes, went to their lockers, then headed out to the parking lot. As worried as she was for her friend, Danielle couldn't help but feel her spirits lift again when they stepped outside and she saw that Jasper was waiting for her. Bella took one look at him, then continued on without Danielle.

"I'll see you at the truck," she muttered, before breezing past Jasper without making eye contact with him.

Danielle sighed as Bella left, then walked over to Jasper. Jasper stared at Bella's retreating back for a second, then turned an uncertain look on Danielle. "She seems very angry," he commented.

"That's because she _is_ ," Danielle confirmed. "Someone in your family is giving her a hard time and she doesn't really appreciate it," she then said, cocking an eyebrow as she glanced past Jasper's shoulder and saw his siblings hanging out by their car, which was parked a few space over from Bella's truck. Edward watched as Bella went to her truck, his eyes unblinking. "I don't wanna name any names, but I can give you a hint – it rhymes with _Shmedward._ "

Jasper looked amused at her not so subtle hint for a moment, then sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Things with Edward and Bella are…complicated," he told her.

"Well, could you do me a favor and tell your brother to _un-_ complicate it?" she asked. "It kinda seems like he's toying with her, and she doesn't like it. And neither do I," Danielle said with a frown.

Jasper nodded once. "I'll talk to him," he said reassuringly.

Danielle smiled gratefully. "Thank you." She paused for a moment, watching from a distance as Bella talked with someone by the truck. For a split second she thought maybe Edward had gone over to talk to her, but then she realized it wasn't him. It was Eric. Danielle looked back to Jasper, then sighed and flashed him a look of apology. "Sorry if it sounded like I was biting your head off," she said quickly. "You didn't do anything wrong. I'm just – "

"Looking out for your friend," Jasper finished with a small smile. "Don't worry. I understand."

"I'm glad," Danielle said with relief.

He smiled, then motioned for her to walk with him. They began to slowly make their way down to the parking lot, walking side by side.

"I spoke to Emmett and Edward about hiking this weekend. I told them I would go with them," he revealed. "We'll be leaving on Friday."

Danielle frowned at once, immediately disliking the thought of having to suffer through an entire school day without Jasper. "You're gonna skip?" Jasper nodded in confirmation. "And your parents are okay with that?"

"As long as our grades don't suffer, they don't mind," he said with a shrug.

"Oh, okay," Danielle said. She then gave him a look, just _knowing_ her expression betrayed how disappointed she was. "You _do_ realize Friday is gonna _suck_ for me now, right?" she asked.

Jasper smiled. "It won't be much better for me, either," he admitted, which made her feel a _little_ better, but not much. "So I was thinking," Jasper continued, looking the tiniest bit nervous now. "Maybe tomorrow I can drive my _own_ car instead of carpooling with my siblings. If you'd like, I can pick you up in the morning and take you home after school."

Danielle stopped and looked at him in surprise. Jasper stopped as well, waiting expectantly to hear what she had to say in response. "Really?"

Jasper shrugged a bit. "If it means spending a little bit more time with you before I leave, then…yes," he told her honestly. "What do you say?"

Danielle immediately nodded. "Yeah, that sounds…great," she said, ignoring the way her heart hammered against her ribs. "Let me just write down my address for you."

She quickly delved into her backpack and pulled out the first notebook she found. After locating a pen in the depths of the bag, she scribbled out her address, mindful of the fact that Jasper was watching her every move. When she finished writing the address, she tore the paper out of the notebook and handed it to him. Jasper looked at it for a moment, smiled, then folded it up and slipped it into his pocket.

"I'll come pick you up around seven-thirty," Jasper said. "Is that alright?

Danielle nodded. "Sounds perfect."

"Great," he said, smiling widely.

The sound of a horn honking made them both glance over. Danielle saw that Jasper's siblings had piled into their car and were currently holding up traffic as they waited for Jasper. Bella, she noticed, had gotten into her truck and was stopped behind them, though she appeared to now be talking to Tyler, not Eric, through the driver's side window. A number of cars were lined up behind them, and as they grew more and more impatient with the fact that traffic wasn't moving, more horns began to beep.

"We should go," Danielle suggested. "Our rides are causing a traffic jam. People might start to riot."

Jasper nodded his agreement.

They headed across the parking lot, then said goodbye to one another and veered off toward their respective rides once they were close enough. As Jasper got into the car with his siblings and they drove away, Danielle stepped around the front of the truck and climbed into the cab on the passenger side, unable to help shooting a curious look at Tyler's retreating back as he went back to his own vehicle. As soon as the door was closed, Bella hit the gas and surged forward. Bella looked even more irritated than she had when they'd parted ways.

"What did Tyler want?" she asked.

Bella just waved her off. "Nothing important," she said quickly. "Don't worry about it."

Danielle could sense she wasn't being totally honest, but nodded anyway. Bella never pressured her to talk whenever _she_ didn't want to, so she decided to give her the same curtesy and let the subject drop.

They drove home in silence after that, Bella looking tense and agitated as she drove, while Danielle stared out the window with a small smile on her lips. She felt a bit bad for her friend simply because she'd had a rough afternoon, but it wasn't enough to thwart the happiness that had been radiating through her all day long. It had been a damn good day, and considering the added bonus that Jasper was going to be taking her to and from school tomorrow, tomorrow was already shaping up to be a good one, too. Just the thought of being alone in a car with Jasper, away from prying ears and prying eyes…butterflies filled her stomach as Danielle's smile widened, which she made sure to hide behind her hand so that Bella wouldn't see.

She couldn't _wait_ for tomorrow to come.

* * *

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	8. Chapter Seven

**Thank you for all the awesome reviews and support! You guys are awesome!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Seven_

Danielle woke well before her alarm went off on Thursday morning, and though she had never classified herself as a morning person, on _this_ morning, she was bright eyed and bushy tailed. Already brimming with excitement at the thought of seeing Jasper much earlier than usual, she jumped out of bed and got ready for school, dressing with far more care than she normally would have. She chose to wear a flattering green top, the one her mother always complimented her on whenever she wore it. It was long sleeved, so it was still warm, but the whole top was covered in an outer layer of lace, which gave it a nice feminine touch. She paired it with her favorite pair of jeans and some ballet flats, which she knew wouldn't keep her feet warm and she would probably regret putting them on when she stepped outside into the cold, but oh well. Beauty was pain, right?

Danielle put on a bit more makeup than she normally did, put on a pair of golden, dangly earrings, then pinned back the top half of her red, curly hair into a flattering style. When her eyes landed on the bottle of perfume that her mother had given her for Christmas, she contemplated spritzing some on. In the end, she decided against it – she wanted to look good, but she didn't want to overdo it or seem like she was trying too hard.

It was seven twenty by the time she was finished getting ready, which gave her just enough time to have a quick breakfast before Jasper was due to arrive. She left her bedroom and headed downstairs, practically skipped down to the first floor. But the moment she hit the bottom step, she paused as she was hit with the smell of coffee and bacon. That smell could only mean one thing – her mother was still home.

Danielle cringed at once. More often than not, her mother was already gone by now so that she could get to the bookstore well before official opening time and get everything ready for the day. There were times, however, when she went in a little later, just so she could have breakfast with Danielle and see her off to school.

In the past, Danielle had _never_ minded it when her mother stayed to hang out with her before she went to school. But why did she have to choose _today_ , of _all_ days, to go into work late? Lynne didn't know that Jasper was coming to pick her up. She believed she was going to school with Bella, just as always. There was no way Lynne _wouldn't_ see Jasper when he came to take her to school, which would undoubtedly lead to a conversation that Danielle wasn't ready to have. As far as her mother knew, Jasper was just her friend from school who occasionally popped into the bookshop, and Danielle had been hoping to keep it that way for a little longer. It wasn't because Lynne was strict about dating, or anything – Danielle just hadn't wanted to bring anything up until she knew, with complete and total certainty, where she and Jasper stood with each other.

Maybe Lynne wasn't planning to stay long, Danielle thought hopefully to herself as she finally started toward the kitchen. Maybe she had just stayed to cook her breakfast and would soon be on her way. Maybe there was still a chance she would leave for work before Jasper arrived.

Danielle walked into the kitchen and found Lynne already sitting at the table, her eyes trained on the newspaper she'd retrieved from the driveway. Her plate was empty already, and she seemed to be finishing the last remnants of the coffee in her mug. Knowing that she already finished breakfast reinforced Danielle's hope that Lynne would be leaving for work soon.

"Morning, Mom," she greeted, trying not to sound _too_ chipper so that her mother wouldn't start to get suspicious of anything.

Lynne looked up from the paper to smile at Danielle. "Morning, sweetie," she greeted at once. But then Lynne did a double take, her eyes finally giving Danielle a good, long look. Her brows quickly shot upward. "Wow. You look even more beautiful than usual today," she complimented with a big smile. "What are you so dolled up for?" she then asked.

Danielle shrugged nonchalantly. "No reason," she lied. "Just…felt like being fancy today."

Lynne made a sound of understanding. "Well, you look great. I just _love_ that shirt on you," she complimented again.

"Thanks," Danielle said with a smile.

Lynne said that there was a plate of food on the counter waiting for her, so Danielle went to grab it before easing into the seat across from her mother. She took a bite of bacon, her eyes turning to the clock on the microwave. _7:22._ She suddenly wished she knew if Jasper was the sort of guy who arrived when he said be would or if he was one of those who tended to accidently run a few minutes late, just so she could know exactly how much more time she had before he arrived.

Danielle pulled her eyes from the clock to look at her mother, who had gone back to perusing the newspaper. "Thanks for the breakfast," she said.

"You're welcome," Lynne said with a smile.

Danielle took another bite. "I'm surprised you're still here," she said casually. "I thought you'd be gone already."

"I'll be leaving soon, actually," Lynne said. "I just wanted to make you breakfast and catch up on some local news before heading out." Lynne stopped reading for a moment to give Danielle an excited smile. "I found my box of Spring decorations last night. I think I'm gonna go ahead and decorate the shop with it."

Danielle nodded in approval. "I'm sure it'll look really nice. You've always been good at stuff like that," she told her with a smile.

Lynne seemed flattered. "Thank you, sweetie."

Lynne resumed reading, while Danielle continued eating. They sat in silence while Lynne became immersed in an article, and though Danielle didn't outwardly show it, she felt more and more antsy with each minute that ticked by. She was incredibly excited to see Jasper, but she was also a little nervous as to how her mother would react if she was around to see him pick her up. And that was looking more and more like a possibility, since it was now seven twenty-eight and Lynne had not yet made any moves to leave.

Finally, Lynne folded up the newspaper and set it down. She stood from the table and went to the sink to wash her dishes. "I should probably get going. I want to get a jump start on those decorations," Lynne said over the sound of the faucet. "How do you feel about tacos for dinner tonight?"

"Tacos sound great," Danielle said with a nod.

"Excellent," Lynne said. She finished washing her dishes and set then in the strainer to dry, before turning off the water and wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. "I'm gonna go grab that box of decorations from the garage," she said, leaning down to kiss the top of Danielle's head as she walked past. "I'll be right back."

Danielle watched her go, then sighed to herself. As her mother disappear into the garage, she quickly finished her breakfast and went to set her plate in the sink, before glancing at the clock again. Just as she looked, the time changed. _7:30._

The doorbell suddenly rang, making her jump with surprise. Butterflies then swarmed her belly and a huge smile stretched across her face. It was Jasper. It just _had_ to be.

Danielle hurried out of the kitchen, stopping momentarily to check her appearance in the hallway mirror. She then went to the door, pausing once her hand was on the knob to suck in a deep, calming breath. Then, she pulled the door open.

Jasper stood on the doorstep with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. He had chosen to wear a navy blue zip-up sweater that complimented his eyes very nicely and made him look incredibly handsome. Then again, he probably could have shown up wearing a burlap sack and she _still_ would have thought he looked amazing. Danielle smiled at him happily, but Jasper did not smile back just yet. His eyes had gone a little wider than normal as he looked her up and down, his lips pressing together tightly. When his gaze met hers again, his eyes seemed a little darker and there was obvious admiration in his gaze. It was the exact look she had been hoping to put on his face.

"Good morning, Jasper," she said, her heart doing a little dance in her chest.

He cleared his throat, then finally seemed to get ahold of himself. "Good morning," Jasper said, though his voice seemed a bit rougher than normal. "You look _very_ lovely today," he then complimented with a tiny smile.

Danielle's cheeks turned pink. "Thank you," she said, glancing down at her shoes bashfully. She raised her eyes back to his and they shared a smile. She then glanced over her shoulder to see if her mother had come back from the garage yet, which she hadn't. Danielle decided to try to sneak out before Lynne could see Jasper. "Let me just grab my jacket and my backpack, then we can go," she told him quickly.

He nodded, then stayed where he was while she collected her things, watching her move around through the open door. Danielle pulled on her jacket, then grabbed her backpack and quickly slid the straps onto her shoulders. Just as she started to join him outside, however, she heard Lynne walk back into the house.

"Danielle?" she called, making Danielle freeze on the spot. "I heard the doorbell ring. Is that Bella?" Lynne appeared in the hallway moment later, carrying a large box. She stopped the moment she caught sight of Jasper, though, her brows shooting up to her hairline. "You're not Bella," she said with surprise.

Jasper shrugged a bit and shook his head. "No, I'm not," he confirmed. He glanced at Danielle, who just shrugged at him, before turning a polite smile on her mother. "Good morning, Ms. Clark. It's nice to see you again," he introduced.

Lynne gave Danielle a look as she stepped closer, one that probably didn't mean much to anyone who didn't know her, but which meant a number of things Danielle. "Same to you, Jasper. Though I admit I'm a bit surprised to see you on my doorstep," she admitted, giving Danielle another brief look. "Are you taking Dani to school?"

"I am," he confirmed. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, no, I don't," Lynne said quickly. "Though I'm not sure why you needed to do so when she normally goes with Bella."

Danielle wracked her brain, trying to come up with a good excuse as to why Jasper would need to pick her up. Luckily, Jasper was quicker on his feet than she was. "Danielle and I need to speak with one of our teachers about a project we're working on, so we wanted to get to school a bit earlier to speak with him before class," Jasper lied smoothly, sounding very much like he was telling the truth. "I offered to take her to school so as not to inconvenience Bella."

Lynne seemed to buy the excuse. "Ah, I see," she said, nodding her head.

Jasper looked at Danielle again, then took a step toward her mother. "That looks a little heavy, Ms. Clark," he said, motioning to the box she still held. "I'd be happy to carry it to wherever you were taking it," he offered.

Lynne blinked in surprise again. "Why thank you. That's nice of you to offer." She passed the box to Jasper, who handled it with ease. "I was taking it to my car. The doors are unlocked if you'd like to put it in the backseat."

Jasper nodded, then, without a word, he turned to carry the box to her mother's car. Danielle watched him go, unable to help smiling fondly at how polite and gentlemanly he was being, then turned her gaze back to her mother. When she saw Lynne watching her with crossed arms and a quirked brow, her smile fell and she cringed.

"By the way...Jasper is taking me to school?" she offered lamely.

"You could have told me a little _sooner_ ," Lynne hissed. She poked her head outside to glance at Jasper. "I understand why you got all dressed up now," Lynne commented. She then looked back to Danielle, her lips pulling into a smirk. "He sure is cute, isn't he?" she said, wiggling her brows. "They didn't look like that when _I_ was in high school."

" _Mom_ ," Danielle groaned, covering her face with her hands.

"What?" Lynne asked, clearly not seeing any issue with what she'd said.

Danielle dropped her hands from her face, then shook her head. Both she and her mother looked in the direction Jasper had gone again, and Danielle couldn't help but notice the fact that it seemed to be taking longer than it should have for him to put the box in Lynne's car – Danielle wondered if he was stalling on purpose, so that she and her mother had time to talk.

"Oh, and Mom?" Danielle said quickly to draw Lynne's attention to her. "Now would also probably be a good time to tell you that Jasper and I are going to the Spring Fling dance together on the twelfth."

"Since when?" Lynne asked with surprise.

"Since yesterday," Danielle answered.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lynne demanded, looking mildly offended by the fact that Danielle hadn't said anything sooner.

Danielle shrugged. "I was going to. I just hadn't gotten around to it yet."

Lynne gave her a look. "First he's taking you to school, now you're going to the dance together? Is there something going on that you haven't told me about?" she asked suspiciously. "Is he your _boyfriend_?"

"No, he's not," Danielle quickly answered. "Or, at least, I don't _think_ he is," she added with a shrug. "We're just kind of…seeing where things go."

Lynne lifted a brow knowingly. "I thought you weren't interested in him like that?" she accused, referring to the first conversation they'd had about Jasper the day he had come to apologize to her in the bookstore.

"I wasn't at the time," she said with a shrug, which wasn't really the truth, but Lynne didn't need to know that. "But things have changed. I like him, Mom. I like him a _lot_ ," she said with a nod "So just…be nice? Please?"

Lynne huffed. "I'm _always_ nice," she said pointedly.

Danielle glanced at Jasper again and saw that he was making his way back to them. She gave Lynne a look that very clearly said to keep her mouth shut, then smiled at Jasper as he rejoined them. She thought she spied a glint in his eyes when his gaze met hers, but he turned his attention to her mother before she could be sure what it meant.

"The box is safely in your car, Ms. Clark," he said with a nod.

"Thank you, Jasper, that was very kind of you. And thank you for taking Dani to school," she added with a smile. "I hope you didn't have to go too far out of your way to pick her up."

"Not at all, ma'am," Jasper assured her with a shake of his head.

Lynne started to say something else, but Danielle decided that the time to leave had come. She didn't want to give her mother any chance to say anything that might embarrass her. "We should get going," she said quickly, finally stepping out onto the porch so that she stood next to Jasper. "I'll see you tonight, okay, Mom?"

"Alright," Lynne said without putting up a fuss. "Have a good day at school."

Danielle nodded, then looked at Jasper and nodded toward his black, fancy looking car, which was parked at the curb. "Have a good day, Ms. Clark," he said to her mother, smiling politely again.

"You too, Jasper," Lynne said back.

With that, Danielle and Jasper stepped down from the porch and went to his car. Unsurprisingly, Lynne had chosen to lean against the door frame and watch them go. When they reached the car, Jasper stepped ahead of Danielle and opened the passenger side door for her. Danielle gave him a smile and eased into the passenger seat. Jasper shut the door behind her, waved to her mother one last time, then walked around the front of the car and took his place behind the steering wheel.

The moment he shut the door behind him, Danielle's stomach did a somersault and her heart began to pound within her chest. They had never been so completely and totally alone before, and especially not in such a confined space. Their gazes held for a long moment, though neither one of them said anything yet. Danielle felt positively surrounded by that wonderful piney scent, which seemed to fill up the entire car. She sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly, her nerves crackling with awareness as Jasper stared at her intently. She could've _sworn_ his eyes had gotten darker in the last few moments.

Finally, Jasper pulled his eyes away from hers and faced forward, his hands reaching into his pocket to retrieve his keys before he slipped them into the ignition. Danielle finally felt like she could breathe again once he wasn't staring at her.

"Did you tell Bella I was picking you up this morning?" Jasper finally asked, glancing at the red truck as he pulled away from the curb and started down the street.

"Yeah, I did," Danielle confirmed. She had told Bella when they had parted ways the day before, which had certainly been a surprise to her friend.

"But you _didn't_ tell your mother," Jasper commented, lifting a brow at her.

Danielle smiled sheepishly. "I didn't think she'd be here when you came to get me," she admitted. "I didn't not tell her because I was embarrassed or anything," she quickly clarified, just so he wouldn't get the wrong idea. "My mom just tends to get a little… _nosey_. She would have grilled me for details all night long if I had mentioned we were going to school together today."

Jasper smirked. He didn't seem put off by the fact that she'd kept him a secret from her mother, which was a relief. "Sounds a bit like _my_ mother," he said.

Danielle smiled, then let her eyes wander around the car. The seats were made of leather, the dash had a fancy digital screen for navigation and radio options, and everything was impeccably clean. The car practically screamed _EXPENSIVE_.

"Nice car," Danielle complimented.

"Thank you," Jasper said back, keeping his eyes on the road as he turned out of her neighborhood.

"You Cullen's sure like your fancy cars, huh?" she then commented, thinking of all the flashy cars she had seen them drive to school.

"It's a weakness of ours, I'm afraid," he said with a shrug. He then smirked at her, his eyes dancing with humor. "But don't worry, we're not _all_ flash. We still take the old station wagon when we go on family outings," he joked.

Danielle snickered. "How suburban of you."

Silence fell between them as they slowed to a stop at a red light. Jasper kept his hands firmly on the steering wheel, but his eyes were on her again, slowly taking in every inch of her face. Danielle flushed under his intense scrutiny and began to drum her fingers against her leg, trying to act calm and casual on the outside, despite the fact that her stomach was still doing flips on the inside.

"You really _do_ look very lovely today, Danielle," Jasper said in a low voice, which made her fingers stop tapping and her eyes fly to his. He gave her a lopsided smile, his head tilting to the side a bit. "Then again, you _always_ look very lovely," he added.

Danielle smiled shyly and cleared her throat. "You're making me blush again," she said, reaching one hand up to push a stray curl away from her face.

Jasper's eyes followed the movement of her hand, then gazed intently into hers again. "I happen to like it when you blush," he confessed.

His words combined with the way he was looking at her was quickly turning her brain into mush, which made it very difficult to come up with a response. Luckily, she was saved from having to respond when the car behind them beeped their horn. Jasper blinked, glanced in the rearview mirror, then realized that the light had turned green. He pressed on the accelerator, sending the car back into motion.

Danielle drummed her fingers against her leg again, sneaking a glance or two as Jasper as he drove. Anytime his gaze met hers, her heart jumped a little. She decided she needed some thing to distract herself, otherwise she was just going to sit there and drool over him for the rest of the car ride.

"Mind if I turn on some music?" she asked.

"Help yourself," Jasper said.

Danielle reached toward the screen in the dash and, after taking a moment to study it, she figure out how to turn it on. Almost immediately, the car filled with what sounded like old-timey country music. It wasn't a surprise, seeing as she already knew that Jasper was a fan of older country music – according to what he had once told her, it was pretty much the only style of music he listened to. Danielle listened to the sounds of banjos and what she was almost _certain_ was someone using a jug as an instrument, then lifted a brow at Jasper.

"Who is this band?" she asked, pretty sure she had never heard their music before.

"An old music group from back in the day," Jasper answered. "Do you like it?"

Danielle listened a little longer. "They're not bad," she admitted. "For a _country_ band, anyway," she added teasingly.

Jasper smirked and shook his head. Unlike Jasper, Danielle was _not_ a fan of the genre. "I still don't understand how a girl from Texas doesn't like country music," he mused aloud.

Danielle shrugged. "There's some I can listen to, but not much," she said. "Today's country is just not appealing to me. The songs are either about something super depressing, or they're about something absolutely ridiculous…like people thinking tractors are _sexy_ ," she said with a scoff. "It's just silly."

Jasper thought about it, then shrugged. "I supposed you've got a point there. I'm not big on today's country either. Or _any_ of today's music for that matter."

"Well, I hate to break it to you, but I don't think they'll be playing _this_ sort of music at the Spring Fling," she said, motioning toward the radio.

"I should think not," he conceded. "The music won't matter much to me, though," he added, before giving her a small smile. "I'm far more interested in the _company_."

Danielle's heart skipped a beat. "Well, hopefully the company won't disappoint," she told him.

Jasper immediately shook his head. "I'm certain that's not even a possibility," he insisted.

Danielle just smiled broadly, feeling so light and happy that she felt like she was floating on a cloud.

It wasn't much longer before they were pulling in to the Forks High parking lot. Danielle unbuckled her seatbelt and started to get out of the car once Jasper had parked, but he stopped her with a gentle hand on her elbow. Danielle froze on the spot, watching as Jasper exited the car and then hurried around the front to her side of the car. She grinned as he opened the door and ushered her out with a sweep of his hand.

"Always the southern gentleman," she said as she stepped out of the car.

Jasper smirked as he shut the door again. "What can I say? You bring it out of me."

Jasper left Danielle's side for a moment to collect his schoolbag from the backseat. Danielle's eyes followed him for a moment, looking him over with admiration, until she was hit with the distinct feeling of being watched. She pulled her gaze from Jasper to look around…then immediately stiffened.

There were two girls staring back and forth between her and Jasper, the both of them looking shocked as they whispered to one another. They were not the only ones either. _Everyone_ within a thirty foot radius was staring, clearly awestruck by the fact that they had just arrived together. Danielle flushed and shifted on her feet, all of the staring and attention suddenly making her feel like she had been transported back to her first day of school.

"What's wrong?" Jasper asked as he reappeared by her side, his schoolbag now hanging from his shoulder.

"Everyone's staring at us," she told him.

Jasper took a moment to glance around, then made a thoughtful noise and nodded his head. "So they are," he mused aloud. He didn't seem to really care that people were staring, though. He merely smirked and then offered his elbow. "Would you care for an escort to class, ma'am?" he asked in a slightly more exaggerated southern drawl.

Danielle forgot about everyone else in an instant and smiled. "I sure would," she said.

She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, feeling an electric shock shoot up her arm the moment she touched him. Jasper looked down at her for a long moment, his eyes intent as they gazed into hers. Finally, they began making their way up to the school, focusing only on each other and ignoring the rest of their classmates that stared and gaped in their wake.

* * *

Her first three classes of the day went by quickly and without anything significant happening. She sat next to Jasper, sneaking looks at him and sending him smiles, and walked with him between classes, just as she always did. Rosalie gave her dirty looks all through first period, which she ignored, and Emmett chatted her ear off as much as he could during third period, which earned them a scolding and another threat of being separated by the teacher. In general, it was a fairly normal day, only it was about a thousand times more enjoyable simply because of how great of a mood Jasper had put her in.

Things finally took a turn for the interesting when Danielle got to her fourth period Spanish class and saw Bella for the first time that day.

"Hey," Danielle greeted as she sat down next to her. The last time they had seen each other Bella had been in a foul mood, but she seemed better today.

"Hey," Bella said back, smiling. "How has _your_ day been?" she then asked knowingly. Her tone made it clear that she was asking how her morning ride with Jasper had gone.

Danielle couldn't have wiped the smile from her face if she tried. "It's been great," she said with a nod. "How about yours? Anything to report?"

Bella suddenly shifted in her seat, her expression a combination of excited, but also uncertain. "Actually, yeah," she said, leaning closer. "Edward and I talked again this morning," she revealed. "He wants to drive me to Seattle next week.

Danielle looked at her with shock. "Seriously?" Bella nodded. "What did you say?"

"I told him yes," Bella said.

Danielle's brows shot upward. "What happened to not wanting anything to do with him?"

Bella just shrugged sheepishly. "Things changed," she said. "I mean, he's still confusing and annoying and I have _no_ idea what's going on in his head, but…I don't know. After some of the things he said this morning, I feel like there might be something there. And I _really_ want to figure out what that something is," Bella told her.

Danielle nodded in understanding, knowing exactly how Bella felt because it was how _she_ had felt about Jasper when they first started becoming friends. She started to ask just what exactly Edward had said, but before she had the chance, the bell rang signaling that it was time for class to start and for their conversation about Edward Cullen to stop.

All during class the day before, her eagerness to see Jasper in lunch and resulted in Danielle fidgeting in her seat and watching the clock like a hawk. Today, however, it was Bella's turn to shift around with impatience and eyeball the clock like it had all the answers to life's most pressing questions. She wiggled her foot and tapped her pencil against the top of her desk, her eyes turning to the clock every two seconds as she blatantly ignored their teacher. After a while it began to make Danielle feel a little anxious, so much so that she finally caught her friends eye and mouthed the word, _Relax._ Bella stopped fidgeting at once, flashing a small smile of apology.

When the bell rang and it was time for lunch, Bella was the one to jump out of her seat and hurry for the door. Danielle followed her, but because she was taller and had longer legs, it wasn't any trouble for her to keep up with Bella's quick pace as they started off toward the cafeteria.

"Is this what _I've_ been like these past few days?" Danielle asked with amusement.

Bella scoffed at her. "Past few _days_?" she echoed disbelieving. "Dani, this is how you've been since the day you and Jasper became friends," she then said pointedly.

Danielle started to argue that that wasn't true and that Bella was exaggerating, but then she stopped herself, because as she thought back over the past handful of weeks, she realized that her friend _was_ right. She had always been eager to see Jasper, even back when they'd only first started becoming friends, even before she had realized her own feelings for him. And then that got her thinking, and made her wonder if perhaps her feelings for him had been deeper than just friendship from the very beginning, only it had taken her a little longer to wake up to the truth of how she _really_ felt about him.

"Hey, guys!" a new voice interjected, bringing Danielle out of her own thoughts and back to the present. Angela and Jessica had just appeared, and both had looks of interest on their face as they began walking with her and Bella.

"Dani, is it true?" Angela asked eagerly.

Danielle's brows furrowed. "Is what true?" she asked uncertainly.

"Did Jasper Hale bring you to school today?" Angela persisted.

Danielle shared a quick look with Bella, then nodded. "Yes, he did," she confirmed, which made Angela and Jessica grin at each other. "How did you guys know?" Danielle asked curiously.

"Are you kidding? This school _thrives_ on gossip!" Jessica shot back with a snort, and she would certainly know that, since _she_ was usually the one to spread gossip in the first place. "Rumors about you and Jasper are spreading like wildfire."

Danielle pursed her lips unsurely, not surprised to hear that rumors were going around but still not super happy about it. "Do I even want to know what people are saying?" she asked with trepidation.

"It's pretty harmless," Angela said reassuringly. "Everyone just pretty much seems to think that you guys are boyfriend and girlfriend now."

" _Are_ you guys boyfriend and girlfriend now?" Jessica then asked, the question practically exploding out of her in her eagerness to know.

Danielle, who wondered how many more times she was going to get asked this question, shook her head. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but no, we're not," she answered truthfully.

Angela and Jessica looked disappointed. "Oh. You're just friends then?" Angela asked.

Danielle thought about it, then shrugged. "Well… _no._ I suppose we're _more_ than just that."

Both of her friends looked confused now. "So…then what's going on?" Jessica asked, clearly not understanding.

Danielle hesitated, not entirely sure how much she wanted to reveal. If it had just been her and Angela talking about this, she would have told her the truth. But Jessica was there, and Danielle had a feeling that anything she said to her would likely wind up becoming public knowledge to the school. And since she _didn't_ want a bunch of strangers knowing her and Jasper's business, she thought maybe it would be better if she didn't say anything at all.

Danielle started to wrack her brain, trying to come up with an excuse to get out of having to tell them without offending anyone. Luckily, in the next moment, Bella came to the rescue. She nudged Danielle in the side, then pointed toward something up ahead of them. Danielle followed her gaze toward the cafeteria, which was now in sight, then grinned when she realized that Jasper was waiting for her by the entrance. The other girls looked to see what had caught her attention, then raised their brows at her.

"Why don't you guys go on without me?" Danielle suggested.

Though Jessica looked like she wanted to stay and see what happened, she finally gave in after Angela gave her a pointed look. Her three friends continued on after that, giving Jasper not so discreet looks as they went past him, and disappeared into the cafeteria. Danielle smiled widely and made her way over to Jasper, who gave her a lopsided smile as she approached.

"Hey, you," Danielle said as she stopped in front of him.

"Hello yourself," he greeted in return. He glanced at the door that her friends had just walked through, then lifted an amused brow at her. "Lunchtime gossip?" he asked.

Danielle frowned a bit. "How did you know?" she asked with surprise. "There's no _way_ you could have heard us talking from here!"

Jasper just shrugged casually. "I could tell by the looks on your faces," he said matter-of-factly.

Danielle narrowed her eyes at him, but then shrugged in acceptance. Jasper _was_ good at reading people, so she supposed it made sense. "They were gossiping. _I_ was listening," she made sure to point out. Danielle then sighed. "Apparently you and I are the talk of the town today."

Jasper didn't look too upset to hear it. "It's high school. People will always talk," he told her.

"I know. I'd just rather _not_ have the entire school all up in our business," she said, shooting a slightly sour look when a group went walking past them and she saw that each of them was blatantly staring at her and Jasper.

"Well, as annoying as it is, there _is_ a silver lining here," Jasper said, drawing her attention back to him.

"And what's that?"

"Maybe now I won't have to keep fighting off the competition," he joked with a smirk.

Danielle gave him a disbelieving look. "Jasper, you never had any competition to begin with," she told him point blank.

The smile he gave her in return made her knees feel a little unstable. "Good to know," he said, sounding very pleased indeed.

Danielle sucked in a breath to get herself back in order, then decided to steer the conversation elsewhere. "Bella had some interesting news for me concerning Edward," she revealed, raising her eyebrows at him. "Apparently they're talking again and they're even planning to go to Seattle together the night of the dance," she said.

Jasper's brows rose. "Is that so?" he asked. "I knew he was going to talk to Bella today, but I didn't know about Seattle. That's…interesting," he then mused aloud.

Danielle smiled at him and took a step closer, her eyebrows inching upward knowingly. "So you _did_ talk to him about Bella?" she asked. Even though he had told her he would the day before, she hadn't known if he had meant it or if he'd just been telling her that so she would drop the subject.

Jasper shrugged a shoulder. "You asked me to talk to him, so I talked to him," he answered simply. "I won't tell you what was said because that would be breaking brother code, but I _will_ say that things should be… _different_ between Bella and Edward now."

Danielle was glad to hear it, and hoped that this change would be for the _better_ , not the worse. "Thank you for doing that, Jasper. I think I speak for Bella _and_ myself when I say that it's greatly appreciated," she said sincerely. Jasper just smiled humbly and inclined his head. "Now, quick question," she continued, her lips pulling into a mischievous smirk now. Jasper's expression seemed to turn a bit wary, as if he wasn't sure what she was up to. "What _else_ will you do just because I ask you to?"

Jasper chuckled a bit and shook his head. "I supposed that depends _,_ " he said with slight skepticism. He narrowed his eyes at her then, his lips pulling into that lopsided smile that she loved to see. "But I will say that there's something about you that makes it almost _impossible_ to refuse you."

"That's _very_ good to know," Danielle said with a nod, already stowing that little piece of information away for future use.

Jasper cocked an eyebrow at her. "I feel as though I just made a mistake by telling you that," he admitted.

Danielle shrugged innocently. "Maybe you did, maybe you didn't. Only time will tell, I guess," she answered aloofly. When Jasper just gave her a look, she laughed and then motioned toward the cafeteria. "Let's go get some food. I'm _starving_."

They finally walked into the cafeteria and headed for the lunch line to buy food. She could faintly hear whispering and noticed some people staring, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. She focused all of her attention on Jasper as they grabbed their lunches and made small talk with one another.

Once they both had trays full of food, they paid the lunch lady and started to head toward the table they usually sat at when they ate together. Danielle stopped with surprise, however, when she realized that the table was occupied. Her surprise increased even more when she realized that the people occupying said table were none other than Edward and Bella.

"Well, would you look at that," Jasper commented, having just noticed the same thing she had. He looked down at her and raised his brows. "Did I not say things would be different?"

Danielle nodded, but that didn't stop her from frowning with annoyance. As glad as she was to see that Bella and Edward finally seemed to be trying to talk things out and find some sort of common ground with each other, she was _not_ happy about the fact that they had taken her and Jasper's table. In the back of her mind she knew it was silly of her to be so annoyed, but this was the last day she would spend with Jasper before he went hiking and she wanted to eat with him in privacy. Her eyes swept the cafeteria, but every other table was taken. She sighed heavily, then gave Jasper a disgruntled look.

"Shouldn't you be happy that they're talking?" Jasper asked pointedly.

"I am," Danielle said. "But did they have to take _our_ table?" she then asked grumpily.

Jasper chuckled a bit. "They can borrow it for a day. We'll just find another place to sit," he said with a reassuring nod.

They both looked around again, trying to decide which option was best. Eating outside was out of the question, because it had started raining literally the _second_ after she and Jasper had stepped inside after arriving that morning, and it hadn't let up even the slightest bit since. She saw Jasper eyeing the table that his siblings were sitting at, but then saw his face fill with doubt as he looked at his twin, Rosalie. Danielle already knew she wouldn't dare suggest sitting with them – Emmett and Alice would be fine to hang out with, but Rosalie? She'd probably try to stab her with a plastic spork for even _thinking_ about it.

Danielle finally looked at the table the lunch group was at. Most of the table kept looking at Edward and Bella, and though the majority of them were just looking on with curiosity, Mike looked pretty upset about it. Danielle sighed, then raised her brows at Jasper. "You feeling brave enough to eat lunch with my friends?" she asked, fully expecting him to say no.

Jasper looked at the group she was referring to, took a second to think about it, then slowly nodded. "Alright," he said, though he didn't sound over the moon about the idea.

"We don't have to," she said quickly. "I can eat with them and you can eat with your brother and sisters if you want," she then added with a shrug, not wanting to force him into doing anything he didn't want to.

"No," Jasper said at once. "We'll eat with your friends. It'll be…fine."

Danielle nodded. "Okay."

They started making their way over to the lunch group, who were all still preoccupied with shooting glances at Bella and Edward and whispering to one another. Finally, Eric looked up, and when he saw Danielle and Jasper walking toward them, his eyes went wide with surprise. He smacked the nearest person to get their attention, and that person just so happened to be Tyler. Tyler looked at Eric with a confused frown, then also looked shocked when Eric pointed then out and he saw that they were approaching.

"Hey, guys," Danielle said to catch the attention of the rest of the table. Everyone looked at her with friendly smiles, then went wide eyed when they saw Jasper standing next to her. "Mind if we join you?" she asked, motioning toward Jasper. "Our table kinda got hijacked by Bella and Edward."

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Finally, Angela recovered. "Er, yeah! Of course!" she said, before pushing against Eric's shoulder. "Scoot over and make some room."

There was a loud scraping sound of chairs moving across tile as everyone shifted around to make room for her and Jasper. Danielle started to sit in a chair that would put her sitting between Jasper and Angela, but when she noticed that that would put him sitting between her and _Jessica_ , she discreetly motioned for him to take her original seat, so that he would be sitting next to Angela instead. She figured that if he had to be next to someone he didn't know, the very sweet and friendly and _non_ -gossipy Angela would be the safest bet.

They settled in, and the fact that Jasper looked stiff and awkward did not escape her notice. "Jasper, this is Angela, Eric, Tyler, Mike, and Jessica," she introduced, pointing to each person as she said their name. He gave them a pinched smile and inclined his head. "Guys, this is Jasper."

"Hi, Jasper," Angela said with a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you."

"You as well," Jasper said politely in return.

Danielle saw him glance toward the table his siblings sat at. She followed his gaze and saw that all three were looking at Jasper like lobsters had just started crawling out of his ear. They had gotten used to the idea of Jasper sitting with _her_ at lunch, but they obviously had not expected to ever see him sit with her friends. The same could be said for the rest of the students at lunch, too. Their peers seemed unsure what was more interesting to gossip about – the fact that Bella and Edward were sitting together, or the fact that Jasper had agreed to sit at a table full of people he'd never spoken to before.

"So," Jessica said after a few moments to break the momentary silence that had fallen over the table. Danielle cringed, hoping and praying she wouldn't say something off-putting. "What's going on with Edward and Bella?" she asked, her eyes jumping back and forth between Danielle and Jasper.

Danielle spoke up so that Jasper wouldn't have to answer. "I'm not too sure," she answered honestly. "I know they have a class together, though," she said, before looking at Mike. He kept glaring in Edward's direction. "Aren't you in class with them too, Mike?" she asked.

Mike nodded. "Yeah. They're lab partners in our biology class, but I hardly ever see them talking to each other. I didn't think they were even _friends_ ," he said with a frown.

"I didn't know you paid such close attention," Jessica commented, her tone just the tiniest bit frosty.

Danielle and Jasper shared a look with each other, then looked at Mike again when he quickly spoke up. "I don't," he said defensively. Danielle could tell he was lying, and she was certain everyone else at the table could tell, too.

"Why don't we _not_ talk about Edward and Bella?" Angela suggested, looking pointedly at Jessica and Mike. Jessica gave Mike a long look, then sighed and took a bite of food. "So, Jasper," she said, which made Jasper shift his attention to her. "Did Danielle happen to tell you about our beach trip this weekend?"

"She did," Jasper confirmed.

"Will you be joining us?" she asked curiously.

The rest of the group seemed interested to know, too, though Danielle thought the guys didn't look particularly thrilled with the thought of Jasper tagging along. "Unfortunately, no," he answered, which made the guys relax. "I'm going hiking with my brothers. I'll be gone all weekend," he informed her.

"Oh," Angela said, nodding in understanding. "Well, it's too bad you couldn't come, but hiking with your brothers sounds like a lot of fun too," she added with a smile.

"It usually is," Jasper said with a nod.

"Where do you like to go hiking?" Angela asked with interest.

For the next few minutes, Jasper told Angela about different places he and his family had gone to on recent hiking trips. Angela listened with rapt attention, nodding her head and asking questions at the appropriate moments. Danielle smiled as she watched then talk, recognizing the fact that Angela seemed to be going out of her way to make Jasper feel welcome, just as she had done with Danielle the very first time _she_ had sat with them at lunch time. It appeared to be working, too. Jasper still didn't look nearly as relaxed as he did whenever they were alone together, but he didn't seem _as_ tense as he had when they'd first sat down, either.

"So, Dani," Jessica eventually said to catch her attention. "Have you made any decisions about whether or not you're going to the dance yet?"

Danielle glanced at Jasper, who had heard the question and was looking at her. "Actually, yes," she said. She glanced at Jasper again, silently asking if it was alright if she announced that they were going together. After Jasper nodded, she turned back to Jessica with a smile. "Jasper and I are going together."

Jessica and Angela both gasped and then grinned with excitement. "Oh my gosh, you guys _have_ to come with us then!" Jessica gushed.

"Us?" Danielle asked.

"Mike is _my_ date," Jessica said, pointing to Mike, who was still watching Edward and Bella like a hawk. "And Eric is _Angela's_ date," she said next, which made Danielle grin at Angela. The girl blushed a bit, but still smiled happily. "We're all going together. You guys should _totally_ join us!"

Danielle instantly knew she wasn't sold on the idea of her and Jasper being part of a group for the Spring Fling, but she didn't outright say no, either. She instead looked at Jasper to try to see what his reaction to the invitation was, but all he did was shrug very unhelpfully in response. _Typical guy,_ she thought to herself, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at him.

"I don't know, Jessica," she finally said. "We haven't really talked about what we want to do yet. How about you let us think about it?" she asked.

Jessica, who had obviously expected her to say yes, looked a bit taken aback at first. But then she smiled and quickly nodded. "Yeah, yeah, sure. You guys talk about it and then get back to us! No biggie!"

Danielle just nodded, gave Jasper a look, then ate some more of her food.

The rest of lunch wasn't quite as awkward as she had thought it would be, which was a relief. Mike eventually stopped watching Edward and Bella and started talking to the guys about the beach trip, while Jessica proceeded to yap Danielle's ear off about the dance and all of the plans they had for it already, including a trip to Port Angeles to go dress shipping, which Danielle was promptly invited to. Jasper didn't say much, seemingly more content to listen to the conversation around him rather than actually contribute, but Danielle hadn't really expected that he would. He spoke if anyone asked him a direct question, but other than that, he stayed quiet.

When the bell rang, they quickly said goodbye to the lunch group and went to throw their trash away. Danielle hesitated for a moment, wondering if there was any way that she could catch Bella before class, but when she saw that Bella was still talking to Edward, she thought it better to leave them be. She'd get all the details later in gym.

Danielle and Jasper left the cafeteria and headed for her locker. As they walked she flashed him a look of apology. She felt bad, because she felt like she had just put him through a mild form of torture by making him sit with her friends. "I'm sorry," she said. "Sitting with them was a bad idea. I shouldn't have made you do that."

Jasper gave her a look. "You didn't make me do anything," he reminded her. "And it wasn't that bad," he added. "Jessica talks a lot – " Danielle snickered at that. " – but Angela was friendly and the rest were fine."

"I'm convinced that Angela is an angel sent from heaven," she stated fondly. "As for _Jessica_ , however…she tends to drive me nuts sometimes," Danielle admitted with a heave.

"I can see why," he said with a smirk.

They reached her locker and Danielle quickly put in the combination to open it up. Jasper waited for the person next to her to move out of the way, then leaned against their locker once they were gone.

"So then what would you like to do about the dance?" Jasper asked, looking at her curiously. "Do you want to join their group?"

Danielle frowned unsurely. "Do you?"

"They're your friends," Jasper said with a shrug. "If you want to go with them, then we'll go with them."

Danielle gave him a look. "It's not just about what _I_ want, Jasper. It's about what we _both_ want," she said firmly. "You tell me what _you_ want to do," she insisted.

Jasper hesitated. "The truth?" Danielle nodded encouragingly. "I don't want to be with anyone else that night but _you,_ " he admitted.

Danielle smiled widely. "Good…because I don't wanna be with anyone else either. I want it to just be me and you."

Jasper sighed with relief. "Good."

Danielle smiled, then grabbed her book for physics and shut her locker. "Well, now that _that's_ settled _,_ you should get going," she said.

Jasper frowned with confusion. "You don't want me to walk you to Physics?"

"Oh, I do," she said, which confused him even further. "But I _know_ I made you late to class yesterday, and I won't have you being late again today. That's that and I don't wanna hear any arguments," she said matter-of-factly. "So you get going, mister," she concluded sternly.

Jasper smirked and pushed off of the locker he'd been leaning against. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a little bit bossy?" he asked.

"Yep," she said without hesitation, which made him smirk. She smiled at him, then took a step in the direction of her class. "I'll see you after school, okay?"

"I'll be waiting for you here," Jasper confirmed.

Danielle nodded, then turned to head for her Physics class. She was not surprised when she glanced back and was Jasper watching her go. She just gave him another smile, then continued on to class.

* * *

After Physics, Danielle hurried to the girl's locker room so that she would have plenty of time to talk to Bella before class started. She wanted to know how her lunch with Edward had gone and whether or not she had anymore clarification as to where they stood. But when she walked into the locker room, Bella wasn't there, and though she lingered for several minutes after changing, her friend _still_ didn't show. Finally the coach told them all to get into the gymnasium, and as the bell rang to signal the start of the final class of the day, it became clear to Danielle that Bella wasn't coming to class. Danielle was confused, because she didn't understand why Bella had suddenly disappeared, but she was also concerned. She hoped that her friend was alright and that nothing had happened to her.

After Gym, Danielle changed back into her regular clothes and went to her locker. She found Jasper waiting for her there, as promised, and though she was still worried about Bella, just seeing Jasper made her instantly feel better.

"Hey," she said, offering a smile as she reached him.

Jasper frowned at once. "Is everything okay?" he asked, instantly picking up on the fact that something was off.

Danielle sighed and shrugged as she leaned a shoulder against the lockers. "Bella wasn't in gym. She _never_ skips, though. It's got me a little worried that maybe something happened to her."

"Something _did_ happen, actually," Jasper said, which made her frown at once. "Bella got sick in her Biology class. They were doing blood testing and she got a little faint. Edward ended up driving her home so that she could spend the rest of the day resting."

Danielle didn't know what surprised her more, that Edward had driven Bella home or that Jasper knew exactly what had happened to her friend, despite not having any classes with her. "Edward drove Bella home?" she repeated with interest. Jasper nodded in confirmation. "Wow." She then cocked her head curiously. "How did _you_ know what happened to Bella?" she asked curiously.

"Edward told me," he said. "He came back to pick up Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice. Alice is going to drive Bella's truck back to her house, and since I'll already be there dropping _you_ off, I'm going to drive Alice back home after she returns the truck," he then explained.

"Oh, okay," Danielle said.

She _could_ have pointed out that all of this would have been _much_ easier if she just drove the truck back to Bella's _herself_ , instead of making Alice go out of her way to do it. But then she remembered that if she drove Bella's truck, then she _wouldn't_ be able to ride with Jasper. And considering the fact that she wouldn't be seeing him tomorrow – or the rest of the weekend, for that matter – she was not a fan of any plan that meant spending less time with him. If the Cullen's wanted to go about things the hard way, then fine. She'd happily play along if it meant being with Jasper just a little bit longer.

After she opened her locker and filled her backpack with the things she needed to take back home with her, she and Jasper headed out of the school. They paused once they were outside though, taking a moment to stand under the protective roofing of the school and stare out at the parking lot. It hadn't stopped raining yet. In fact, it seemed like it was raining even harder. Kids were running to their cars, laughing and shrieking as they tried – and failed – to avoid getting drenched.

Danielle looked up at Jasper, who cocked a brow at her. "Shall we make a run for it?"

Danielle nodded, then, together, they dashed out toward the parking lot.

Within seconds they were both drenched from head to toe, but Danielle didn't mind. She laughed as they ran through the thick sheets of rain, smiling at Jasper with delight as they dodged in between students and cars. Her ballet flats were certainly not ideal footwear for weather like this – they had hardly any traction against the slick pavement and kept threatening to slip off her feet, which made it hard to keep up with him. Jasper seemed to notice she was struggling and slowed down a bit, his hand reaching for hers. Danielle happily slipped her hand into his, feeling a spark within her body the moment she touched him. They ran the rest of the way to the car hand in hand.

Jasper helped her into the car once they reached it, then slammed the door shut and hurried around to his own side. Danielle pushed her wet hair away from her face, breathing hard from their sprint across the parking lot, every inch of her clothing completely drenched from the rain. As Jasper sat down in the driver's sat and closed his door, she looked over at him, then felt her heart jump in her chest.

Jasper was beautiful, she had thought so from day one. But right now, as he sat there smiling at her, with his drenched clothes and his hair sticking to his forehead and his skin glistening from the rain…there were no words in the world that did him justice.

Danielle cleared her throat and looked away, wondering when it had gotten so hot in Jasper's car. When she looked back at Jasper, his smile had faded and he was giving her a look that made a shiver that had _nothing_ to do with the cold rain clinging to her body travel down her spine.

"Our clothes are soaked," she said, feeling the sudden and urgent need to break the silence. "Your seats are gonna get ruined."

"I don't care," he said. There was no ignoring the huskiness of his voice, and it made Danielle shiver again. "Cold?" he asked.

She should've said yes, just so he wouldn't know how much he was effecting her, but her mouth had other plans. "No," she told him honestly, gulping a bit as she stared into his eyes.

Jasper's eyes went a bit darker and she saw his chest heave as he sucked in a deep breath. Finally, after a long moment, he cleared his throat and tore his eyes from hers, his hands smoothly retrieving his keys and sticking them into the ignition. Danielle pressed her lips together tightly and buckled her seatbelt, her hands shaking a bit. She quickly folded them together in her lap so Jasper wouldn't see, then turned her eyes to the window as he put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking space.

Unlike that morning, when they had spent the drive chatting and listening to music, they drove along in complete silence. There was something different in the air now, something that made it hard for Danielle to relax and even harder for her to think of anything to say. She felt acutely aware of every little thing he did, from moving his hand to turn on his blinker to smoothly turning the steering wheel to even just _breathing._ Every sense was completely in tune to him, and the longer she sat there, looking at his beautiful face and feeling engulfed by the intoxicating scent of pine and rainwater, the harder it was to keep her head on straight. He was making her feel things that she never had felt before, things that made her want to touch him and kiss him and be as close to him as she possibly could.

Jasper's grip on the steering wheel suddenly tightened and he stepped a little harder on the gas, making the car lurch forward even faster. It was enough of a surprise to pull Danielle back from the path her thought a had just travelled down. She shook her head and sucked in a few steadying breaths, keeping her eyes on the window now as the world flew by in a blur of grey and green.

They reached her house faster than she anticipated, and she couldn't decide whether she should be sad or relieved because of that. She didn't want to say goodbye to him, but the atmosphere in the car was proving to be too much for her nerves to handle. She needed to get some air again, needed to clear her mind and get herself back in order. Jasper pulled into the driveway, then shut off the ignition. He then turned his head to look at her for the first time since they'd left the school. His eyes were intense, burning. She couldn't breathe, couldn't look away.

"I'll get your door," he said, his tone gravelly.

The words barely registered, but she still nodded. "O-Okay."

Jasper stared at her for a second longer, then got out of the car and walked around the front so that he could open her door. It was actually a relief to step out in the rain again – the cold raindrops felt good against her heated skin, and out here, in the open air, she felt like she could breathe again. Jasper shut the door once she was out, then motioned for her to lead the way. She led the way up to her front porch, not bothering to hurry since they were both already soaked from the rain, very much aware of the fact that Jasper was right behind her. Once they were on the porch and finally shielded from the rain, she turned back around to face him.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "You know, for picking me up and taking me home."

Jasper didn't blink as he stared at her. "It was my pleasure," he told her steadily.

Danielle shifted on her feet, then cleared her throat. "When are you and your brothers leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning," he answered. "We should be back Sunday night."

Danielle nodded her understanding. "You'll be safe, right?" she asked. "You're not gonna do anything crazy like…dangle off cliffs or wrestle bears or anything like that?"

Jasper finally smiled, though his eyes had not lost an ounce of their intensity. "Nothing crazy. Just a weekend of hiking and camping and good ol' fashioned bonding time."

"Good," Danielle said with a sigh.

"You'll be safe too, won't you?" he asked, his brows raising a tick. "You won't be doing anything too extreme on your little beach outing?"

Danielle shook her head. "I probably won't even get in the water," she said reassuringly. "I'll just hang out on the beach and eat some food. I might even do a bit of hiking of my own."

"Good," Jasper said with satisfaction.

Danielle hesitated for a moment, then gave him a small smile. "I'll miss you," she told him truthfully.

Jasper exhaled slowly through his nose. "I'll miss you, too," he said quietly.

Jasper looked at her for a moment, then took a step closer to her, so that there was less than a foot of space between them. He hesitated for a moment, then slowly reached a hand up to her face. Her breath caught in her throat as his fingers found a curl that had worked it's way free of her hairdo and tucked it behind her ear. His fingertips then trailed down her cheek and travelled the length of her neck, so feather light that she barely even felt it. Her eyes fluttered for a moment and she licked her lips unconsciously. The movement made Jasper's eyes drop to her mouth, his gaze almost hungry now.

"Jasper?" she whispered, feeling amazed that she was even capable of still forming words.

"Yes?" he asked. His fingers were still on her neck.

"Are you going to kiss me?" Danielle asked him boldly.

His eyes darkened considerably. "I probably shouldn't." he said.

Danielle blinked at him in confusion. "Why not?" she asked breathlessly, moving a fraction closer to him. He looked like he couldn't decide if he should bolt, or if he should grab her and kiss her senseless. She was hoping for the latter of the two options.

Jasper gulped. "Because if I do, I might not be able to control myself," he admitted.

Heat shot through her at those words. "That's a bad thing?" she asked dumbly.

" _Very_ bad," Jasper said.

But he still hadn't moved away from her, and the longer he stood there staring at her like that, the more her lips tingled with the desire to kiss his. "What if I don't care?" she asked.

"You _should_ care," Jasper insisted.

"Well, I don't," Danielle insisted. Then, in a moment of pure bravery, she said, "Kiss me, Jasper. I _want_ you to kiss me."

Jasper growled in response, his chest heaving again. He stepped even closer and planted his hands on either side of her neck, his eyes smoldering as he stared into hers. She was suddenly hit with a wave of desire so strong and so powerful that her knees buckled. The only reason she stayed upright was because Jasper dropped one hand from her neck and wrapped an arm around her waist so that he could hold her up. She was blown away, completely confused by the rampant desire that had just hit her, so much so that she hardly knew which way was up and which way was down. All she could focus on, the only thing that made any sense, was Jasper. And he was suddenly leaning closer, his eyes dark, his grip on her tight, looking for all the world like he absolutely was going to kiss her. Danielle closed her eyes and tilted her head back, her heart hammering in her chest as she waited for the moment when his lips would meet hers.

And then, quite out of nowhere, he let her go. Danielle stumbled forward and opened her eyes again, only to see that Jasper had taken a few big steps backward and was now standing on the edge of the porch, his face set in a mask of pure frustration. He gulped and raked a hand through his wet hair, shaking his head as he looked at her. He almost looked like he was in physical pain.

"Jasper, what – ?"

"I can't," he interrupted, his voice still husky. "I just… _can't,_ Danielle." Hurt rushed through her at his words and it must have shown on her face, because he quickly shook his head. "It's not you. You've done nothing wrong," he insisted firmly, his eyes pleading with her to understand. "It's just…too soon. It's too _dangerous_."

"Dangerous?" Danielle echoed unsurely. "What do you mean?"

Jasper didn't answer though. "I just…need more time."

Danielle still couldn't grasp onto one coherent thought. All she could think about was how Jasper wasn't making any sense, how her lips were dying to kiss his, and how her body was still on fire and desperate to feel his touch again. What about kissing her was so dangerous? Why was he so freaked out? What was going _on_?

She might gave asked him, but at that exact moment, a familiar red truck came driving into view. Danielle watched as it came to a halt in front of Bella's house, then watched as Alice Cullen jumped out of the cab, her eyes turned in their direction. She looked mildly concerned, but did not take any steps to come near them. Jasper glanced back at her, nodded once, then turned back to Danielle. He looked as though he didn't want to go, but he took another step backward regardless.

"I need to go now, or I'll never leave," Jasper said.

"But, Jasper – " she started to say, taking a step in his direction.

He held up a hand to stop her, which made her freeze. "I really need to go," he insisted. "I'll see you when I get back, alright?"

Danielle, who realized that there was nothing she could do or say to make him stay, finally nodded. "O-Okay."

Jasper looked at her for a long moment, then finally turned to leave. Danielle stepped up to the edge of the porch as he walked away, watching as he cast one last look in her direction before getting back in his car. He then started the engine and pulled out of the driveway, pausing for a moment once he had pulled up next to his sister. Alice gave her a look over the top of the car, then finally climbed inside. Jasper drove off after that, leaving Danielle to stand there and watch the retreating tail lights of his car until they disappeared, feeling more confused than she had ever felt in her entire life

* * *

 **Review!**


	9. Chapter Eight

**I'm always so thrilled when I see people who read this the first time around finding the story again! Welcome back, y'all! And, as always, thank you to everyone who is taking the time out of their day to read this story! Hope you continue to enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Eight_

That night, Danielle lay in bed, listening to the gentle sound of rain tapping against her window, her eyes turned up to the ceiling as she stared at the plastic glow in the dark stars that now gave off a faint green glow in the darkness of her room. It was past midnight, but she couldn't sleep. Wasn't even really _tired_ , to be honest. Her mind was too busy, far too preoccupied and full of thoughts for her to be able to sleep. She had simply not been able to stop thinking about Jasper, and what had happened between them that afternoon.

The whole thing had caught her completely by surprise, to be honest. Sure, things had certainly felt different with Jasper the past few days, but she had not expected things to get so intense between them, and especially not so _quickly._ That moment with Jasper had been unlike anything Danielle had ever experienced before. Nobody had ever effected her in that way, nobody had ever made her feel the sorts of things that Jasper had made her feel when he'd been holding her, and touching her, and just moments away from kissing her. She had been attracted to other guys before and she had been _kissed_ before, but never, not even _once,_ had she felt anything even _close_ to what she had felt in that moment. She had never felt so completely and totally entranced by someone, and that strong, burning, almost _desperate_ need to kiss Jasper was something she had never felt for anyone else. It had blown her away…and if that was how she had felt without even actually getting a kiss, she couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen when Jasper actually _did_ kiss her.

That was, of course, assuming Jasper ever _would_ kiss her. Because he had certainly had ample opportunity to do so when they'd been on her porch, but he hadn't done it. He had pulled away from her, practically _ran_ away from her. He had seemed shaken up by the whole thing, had looked borderline _terrified_ by what had happened. And the fact that he _had_ pulled away, that he had seemed so afraid and conflicted, was exactly why she was still awake and why she had been fretting all evening long.

Danielle was downright _confused,_ both by his behavior and the things that he had said. Why had he been so scared? He had said that he needed more time, but what did he need time _for?_ And what about kissing her could possibly be so dangerous? The longer she thought about everything, the less it made sense and the more she began to get this nagging feeling in her gut that something wasn't right. He liked her, she _knew_ that he did. But she also knew there were things about himself that he hadn't told her yet, things that she was beginning to think might be even more serious than she had originally thought.

But what could it possibly be? Try as she might, she simply could not think of _one thing_ that would explain why Jasper had acted the way that he had that afternoon, nor explain the way he was _in general_. What had happened in his past to make him want to keep his distance from people for so long? What could make him so hesitant to get physically closer to her? What was he keeping from her?

As if all of these questions weren't enough to turn her brain in scrambled eggs, she also could no longer make up excuses for the effect he had had on her _emotionally_ whenever they were together. If she was away from him, her emotions were perfectly normal and behaved just as they should. But the moment she was around _him_ , they seemed to have a mind of their own. It was as if her emotions were on one big switchboard, and the person in control of that switchboard was _Jasper_ , not her. But even just the thought of something like that being possible sounded absolutely insane. Jasper wasn't some long lost X-Man with special, mutant powers – he was just a normal _guy_. He _could not_ control her emotions. That was not a possibility. End of story.

But if it wasn't Jasper making her behave this way, what _was?_ Why, when she had always been a rational and level-headed person, did she suddenly feel like she was an emotional yo-yo?

Danielle sighed with frustration and rolled onto her side, shifting around for a moment as she tried to get comfortable. She had been thinking about this all evening, yet she wasn't any closer to figuring out any answers to any of her questions. She was _tired_ of over-analyzing, tired of this endless merry-go-round of questions. She was beginning to feel that there was only way to get to the bottom of all this. Yes, she had told him she wouldn't pressure him into revealing anything he didn't want to, but Danielle wasn't sure she could go on like this. The confusion, the endless questions would drive her insane. If she and Jasper kept going down this road, if they were going to be _together_ , then she needed to understand.

But could she really push him for answers when he so obviously _didn't_ want to be pushed? Could she risk causing irreparable damage to their relationship by trying to rush into something that he wasn't ready for?

Danielle sighed again. She didn't know _what_ she was supposed to do now. All she knew was that she didn't want to think anymore. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to try to go to sleep, doing her very best to push Jasper out of her mind. She just wanted to sleep. She just wanted this day to be _over_ with...

It felt like it took ages, but eventually Danielle was able to fall asleep. It wasn't a good sleep, however. She still tossed and turned, and she was plagued with weird dreams all night long. When she woke up to the obnoxious and unpleasant alarm stationed on her night stand, she felt as if she hadn't gotten any sleep at all. Eventually she dragged herself out of bed and got ready for school, putting her hair up and skipping any make-up, not really caring _what_ she looked like since, one, she wouldn't be seeing Jasper today, and, two, she was just too damn _tired_ to care.

"You don't look so great," Bella said when Danielle finally made her way outside. Her friend seemed a bit concerned as she watched her trudge up to the truck and toss her backpack into the bed. When Danielle turned to her, Bella raised her bows. "Are you okay?"

Danielle sighed, then forced on a smile. She didn't particularly want to talk about Jasper right now, nor what had happened between them the day before. "Yeah," she lied. "I just didn't get very much sleep last night. That and I think I might be coming down with something," she added when Bella still looked a little unsure, faking a little cough. "All this rain and cold is finally taking a toll on me, I guess."

Her plan to throw Bella off the scent seemed to work, because she frowned at once. "You better _not_ be getting sick," she said. "If you skip out on the beach trip tomorrow and leave me to deal with Mike all by myself, I'll _kill_ you."

Danielle held up her hands in surrender. "Don't worry. I've already given my immune system a stern talking to," she promised with a nod. "As long as I take it easy today, I should be alright to go to the beach tomorrow."

Bella let out a sigh of relief. "Good."

They were soon in the cab and on their way to school. They drove in silence for a bit, but eventually Danielle looked over at Bella with questioning eyes. Bella was mindlessly tapping her thumbs on the steering wheel as she drove, her head bobbing slightly to the beat of the music that was playing through the speakers, eyes focused on the road. Despite everything, Danielle had _not_ forgotten the fact that some significant changes had taken place for Bella and Edward. And even though her brain felt a bit like mush due to her confusion over Jasper and serious lack of sleep, she still wanted to know how things had gone.

"So," Danielle said to break the silence. "Are you gonna tell me about Edward, or do I have to beat it out of you?"

Bella looked a bit taken aback, then blushed a bit. "What do you mean?"

Danielle rolled her eyes. "I _saw_ you two sitting together at lunch yesterday – the whole _school_ did," she said pointedly. "And I know he drove you home, too."

"How did you know he drove me home?" Bella asked curiously.

The question made her think about her conversation with Jasper at her locker before they had left. She then immediately thought about the car ride that had followed it, before, inevitably, her thoughts turned back to that moment on her porch. Her stomach clenched at the memory, but she forced herself to look perfectly calm and normal on the outside.

"Jasper told me," she answered. Just saying his name made her heart skip a beat.

"Oh, okay," Bella said with a slow nod. "To answer your question, _nothing_ happened with Edward," she told her. "We just… _talked_. I might have invited him to go to the beach with us, but as I'm sure _you_ already know, he's going hiking with Jasper and Emmett," she said. Danielle nodded to signal that she was indeed aware of those plans. "Other than that, we were just trying to get know each other a little better, ya know?" Bella said with a shrug.

Danielle made a sound of understanding. "Talking is good," she said encouragingly, which made Bella nod. "So then what exactly led to him taking you home?" she asked next.

Bella seemed to grimace at a memory. "I got a bit sick during Biology and nearly fainted. Mike was taking me to the nurse's office when Edward intervened. He stayed with me while I was there to make sure I was fine…or maybe to _annoy_ me, I haven't really decided yet," she added with sarcasm. Danielle cracked a smirk at that. "When I mentioned that I wasn't looking forward to Gym, he talked to the nurse and got me out of having to go. I would have driven _myself_ home, but he insisted on driving me himself."

Danielle thought she detected a hint of frustration in her tone. "Isn't him driving you home a _good_ thing?" she asked.

Bella thought about it for a second, then heaved. "I mean, I guess him making the effort to talk to me and get to know me _is_ good," she conceded. "It's just…" She trailed off and heaved again, looking frustrated now.

"It's just what?" Danielle prompted.

Bella glanced at her. "Edward just says really weird things to me sometimes. Things that don't really make sense," she admitted, which instantly caught Danielle's interest. "He keeps saying how we shouldn't be friends, but that he can't stay away from me anymore. Then he'll say something all cryptic, like how maybe he's not the good guy and how I should probably be afraid of him." Bella shook her head in bemusement. "It's almost like he's trying really hard to convince me that he's _dangerous_ , though I don't know why."

Hearing Bella say the word _'dangerous'_ made Danielle look at her sharply, her thoughts instantly turning back to that last encounter with Jasper. _I can't,_ he'd said. _It's too_ _ **dangerous**_ _._

That nagging feeling in her stomach was back again, telling her that _something_ was going on, something that she hadn't been able to figure out yet. It was one thing for Jasper to say that he was dangerous for her, but to know that _Edward_ was saying the same thing to _Bella_? Was it just a coincidence, or was there something more to this? Danielle frowned deeply, her brows furrowing with concentration. Even if there _was_ something more to this, she still had no idea what that something _was_. Why did Jasper believe that getting too close to her was dangerous? And if Edward also believed that he was dangerous for Bella, then did that mean that this secret Jasper was keeping from her _wasn't_ just about him – was it a secret that extended to the entire Cullen family as well? What did it all mean?

"Danielle?" Bella asked.

Danielle blinked as she was pulled from her thoughts, then looked over at Bella. Her friend was eyeing her unsurely. "Yeah?"

"You okay? I feel like I lost you for a second there," Bella said.

"Yeah, I'm alright. I was just…thinking about everything you told me," she excused.

"Care to share your thoughts?" Bella asked hopefully. "Because when it comes to befriending Cullen's, you seem to have a lot more success than I do," she added, very obviously referring to her relationship – whatever it was – with Jasper. "Any tips would be appreciated."

"I don't really know how much help I'd be," Danielle said with a shrug. "I don't know anything about Edward," she said. Bella sighed with what seemed like disappointment. Danielle tried to come up with a believable reason that would explain the way Edward was behaving, then finally blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "If you ask me, it sounds like Edward's playing hard to get," she said, even though deep down, that nagging feeling wasn't so convinced that _was_ the case.

Bella pursed her lips as she thought that one over. "You think?" she asked, her tone full of doubt.

"Maybe," Danielle said with another shrug. "I dunno, Bella. He's a teenage guy. Teenage guys are…complicated."

"Even Jasper?" Bella asked pointedly.

Hearing his name sent a zing of awareness down her spine. "Even Jasper," she confirmed quietly as the previous afternoon flashed through her mind.

Bella frowned, as if she had suddenly picked up on the fact that maybe not all was well with Danielle and Jasper. She looked like she might ask if something was wrong, but Danielle simply turned her eyes to the window, silently signaling that she didn't want to further proceed with the conversation. Bella sighed, but let the subject drop. They drove the rest of the way to Forks High in silence.

* * *

The rest of the day was easily one of the longest and most torturous days she'd had at school. Between that moment with Jasper the day before and her conversation with Bella on the way to school, she was more confused than ever and feeling all out of sorts. But still…even if she didn't understand him or anything that had happened between them the last time they'd seen one another, that didn't stop her from missing Jasper. She spent the majority of her first two classes completely ignoring her teachers, choosing instead to lean her chin on her hand and stare at his empty seat, wondering where he was and what he was doing. Was he thinking about her, too? And was he thinking about what had happened between them as much as she was?

Her history class wasn't much fun, considering Emmett was also gone. There _was_ someone who seemed pleased with the fact that Emmett wasn't there, however, and that someone was their teacher – Danielle could only assume she was happy because she knew that if Emmett was gone, she'd be able to go an entire class period without having to gripe at them for talking to one another and disrupting class. Spanish wasn't much better, either, despite the fact that Bella was there. Bella seemed just as distracted as Danielle was and, like Danielle, didn't seem very pleased with the fact that the Cullen _she_ liked wasn't present today. They didn't talk much, and if they did, they did _not_ talk about Jasper or Edward.

Eventually there was _one_ interesting moment, and that was right at the beginning of lunch. When Danielle and Bella walked into the cafeteria and quickly bought their lunches, they immediately started making their way over to the table that the lunch group was sitting at. As they were en route, however, Danielle paused when she looked toward the Cullen table, where only Alice and Rosalie were sitting, and was immediately greeted with a smile and a wave from Alice. After Danielle waved back, Alice then started to get up, as if she had every intention of coming to speak to Danielle, only she was kept from actually doing so when Rosalie grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back into her seat. The two exchanged some words after that, until Alice finally gave up and stayed where she was, crossing her arms over her chest unhappily.

Danielle watched the entire exchange with uncertainty, before eventually following Bella to the table that their friends sat at. She supposed it wasn't too surprising that Alice had wanted to come and talk to her – she had, after all, said that she had hoped they would get to talk again soon. She also supposed it wasn't surprising that Rosalie had stopped her, seeing as Rosalie seemed to have a grudge against Danielle that she wasn't planning to let go of anytime soon. Danielle _was_ curious as to _why_ Alice had wanted to talk to her, though. Did she just want to chat? Or had she wanted to come and talk to her about Jasper? Just the thought that it might have been the latter of the two options instantly put Danielle in a bad mood and had her sending a glare toward Rosalie for intervening.

She had never felt so relieved to see a school day come to an end as the final bell finally rang. As if driven by the same sense of urgency to get away from Forks High as quickly as possible, she and Bella rushed back to the locker rooms to change, then, in what seemed like record timing, they collected their backpacks and school books from their lockers before making their way out to the parking lot. They only stopped briefly when Mike and Eric stopped them to make sure they remembered the meeting time for their breach trip the next day, then hurried on to Bella's truck before anyone else could stop them.

It was a quiet night at home, which Danielle was thankful for. Her mother came home around seven-thirty, and after they had dinner, they went about their usual Friday routine and watched romantic comedies whilst gorging on their favorite ice cream. If Lynne noticed that anything was amiss with Danielle, she didn't comment on it, which Danielle was immensely grateful for.

When Saturday morning arrived, Danielle was actually pretty excited for the day to come. She was looking forward to getting out of the house and getting some fresh air, even more so when she glanced outside and was actually able to see the sun attempting to peek through the clouds overhead. She dressed quickly and packed her things for the day, before heading across the street to meet with Bella. Bella didn't look nearly as excited about their upcoming trip to the beach, but that didn't damped Danielle's spirits in the slightest.

When she and Bella pulled into the parking lot of Mr. Webber's store just before ten o'clock. They were the last to arrive, they quickly discovered, and there were more people invited to their beach outing than Danielle had expected. Mike, Angela, Eric, Tyler, and Jessica were all standing around a big suburban, but they were joined by five other people she didn't know. Though she had never met or talked to any of them, she remembered seeing them around school and could recall a few times when she'd seen them talking to her friends during lunch. She could only assume they were friends of Mike and the gang.

The group turned at the sound of Bella's loud truck, and the ones they actually knew began waving in greeting. Danielle and Bella waved back, before Bella parked in the space next to Jessica's car. They stepped out of the truck, and as soon as their feet reached the pavement, Mike broke away from the group and came hurrying over. He had a big grin of excitement on his face, which was most definitely _not_ being directed at Danielle. Danielle smirked and nudged Bella with her elbow. Bella just gave her a look in return.

"Hey guys!" he said excitedly as he screeched to a halt in front if them. "I'm glad you came!" he added, his eyes trained on Bella now.

"We said we were coming, so here we are," Bella said with what sounded like forced enthusiasm.

"Well, you know, sometimes things come up and plans change..." Mike said with a shrug.

It was obvious he'd been afraid Bella wouldn't show, and the fact that she _had_ shown was making him very happy. Danielle glanced over Mike's shoulder and was not surprised to see that Jessica was watching this entire interaction, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes slightly narrowed as they bounced back and forth between Mike and Bella. Mike finally shook his head, as if shaking away whatever thoughts had just been in his head, then grinned widely.

"Anyway," he said, clapping his hands together. "Now that you two are here, we're all ready to go. Tyler, Ben, Conner, Lauren, Lee, and Samantha are going in Tyler's van," he said, motioning toward the people Danielle didn't know. "The rest of us are going in my dad's suburban." Mike paused and turned to Bella. "Will you ride with us?" he then asked hopefully. "You can sit shotgun if you want," he added, as if the prospect of sitting up front would seal the deal.

Bella looked at Danielle, who was trying hard to contain a grin of amusement. "Yeah, sure," Bella agreed. "But only if Dani gets to ride with us, too," she added, jerking her head toward Danielle.

Mike looked at Danielle, as if finally remembering that she was still there. "Yeah, of course!" Mike said at once. "There's plenty of room!"

"Great," Bella said, smiling and looking a bit more relaxed now.

While Mike headed off to tell everyone to start packing up to leave, Danielle and Bella went to the bed of her truck to grab the bags of towels, snacks, and other necessary items that they had brought with them. Bella sighed heavily, which made Danielle quirk a brow at her. "He never gives up, does he?" Danielle said to her friend quietly.

"I thought I was making it obvious that I'm not interested," Bella shot back.

"Not obvious enough, apparently," Danielle countered. "If you want him to back off, you're gonna have to _tell_ him to back off."

"I know," Bella heaved. "I just…I don't wanna hurt his feelings."

Danielle slung her beach bag onto her shoulder and turned to Bella. "He's a big boy. He'll get over it."

Bella gnawed on her bottom lip and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right," she finally agreed.

"Come on, guys!" Mike called to them in the next moment. "Let's go!"

They stopped talking about Mike and went to join everyone else at the suburban. Danielle was quickly introduced to the rest of the people joining them on their outing, all of whom were in the grade below her. Most of them seemed friendly enough, with the exception of the one named Lauren, who gave her a smile that was obviously fake and looked her up and down judgmentally whenever it was her turn to be introduced. The bad vibes that Danielle got from her were impossible to ignore, and since girls like this were the exact type of girls she worked very hard to avoid, she decided right then and there that she would be keeping her distance from this Lauren person.

Soon enough, they had all piled into their respective vehicles and were on their way. Bella ended up sitting up front with Mike, to the dismay of both Jessica _and_ Bella herself. Danielle ended up sitting in the middle row with Jessica, while Angela and Eric sat in the back row. It was actually a decent day out, still cold, of course, but the sun had finally broken through the cloud cover, which was a welcome change from the normal gloomy, overcast sky she had grown accustomed to seeing. They rolled down the windows as they made their way to La Push, enjoying the crisp wind that whipped through the suburban as they chatted with one another and listened to music.

For Danielle, who had been in a funk since the last time she'd Jasper, it was a welcome distraction to be with her friends and to be doing something out of the normal routine. Between the music, the conversation, and the beautiful, green scenery they were driving past, she finally managed to push Jasper to the back of her mind and was actually able to _enjoy_ herself. She alternated between talking with her friends and staring out the window, enjoying the sights of the beautiful forests they drove past and relishing in the feeling of the crisp breeze against her face. She was in higher spirits than she had been in days. It was going to be a good day, she decided.

When they finally arrived at First Beach, Danielle got out of the suburban and walked up to the edge of the parking lot, which overlooked the beach down below. She stood there for a long few moments, just admiring the view. The water was dark grey and there seemed to be more rocks than actual sand, but that didn't make it any less beautiful. Between the tree-covered islands that jutted up from the water out in the distance, the green forest flanking the beach on either side, and the multicolored pieces of driftwood that was strewn around the tide line, the view was actually rather incredible. It was a far cry from the beach she was used to back in Texas, with its brown, murky water, smelly seaweed, too hot sand, and the ominous threat of contracting some sort of infection if you spent too much time actually splashing around in the water. First Beach, she decided, far surpassed Galveston.

The group worked together to unpack all of the things they had brought with them. The guys carried their surfboards, wet suits, and a small bar-b-que pit they had brought along for making hot dogs and hamburgers, while Danielle and the rest of the girls handled the bags of towels and belongings. Lauren put up a fuss when the guys asked if they could handle bringing down the two coolers they had brought along with them, claiming that it was too heavy and that the guys should do it themselves. Danielle rolled her eyes when Lauren wasn't looking, then went to grab one end of the cooler to carry it down. Angela grabbed the other end and they soon set off for the beach, lugging the cooler – which was _not_ too heavy, mind you – with them. Jessica and Samantha carried the other.

Once they were down on the beach, Danielle wandered away from the group while they set up everything and got a small fire started. She walked along the rocks, which had seemed grey from a distance but were actually all sorts of colors up close, until she finally hit the soft sand, standing just out of reach of the waves. It was quite a bit colder down here and the wind carried the strong smell of salt water as it blew in from the shore, but she could also smell the earthy, piney scent of the surrounding forest. It immediately made her think of Jasper, which had her sighing to herself.

She still missed him, there was no use in denying it. And even if they had left each other on strange and bewildering terms, it didn't change the fact that she wished he was here with her now. How nice would it have been, to walk together along the beach? To sit around the fire and huddle close together for warmth? To walk through the emerald forest, perhaps even hold hands…or maybe, if he was finally feeling brave enough, to sneak a kiss when nobody was around to see them?

Danielle rolled her eyes at herself and shook her head. It seemed silly to think thoughts like these when it seemed unlikely it would be happening any time soon. _She_ might be ready to take their relationship to the next level, but clearly Jasper _wasn't_. She doubted that would've changed in just a few days, either.

She was drawn from her thoughts when laughter behind her caught her attention. She turned to see that Mike, Eric, Tyler, and Jessica, as well as the boy named Ben, had all changed into wetsuits and were carrying their surf boards to the water. Danielle was a little surprised by the fact that Jessica was going surfing, since she didn't really seem like the surfing type, but when she saw the way the girl giggled at Mike and shoved him playfully, she had a good feeling that Jessica's willingness to surf had a lot to do with wanting to spend extra time with – and perhaps to _impress_ – Mike.

"Hey, Dani!" Tyler said when he saw her standing there. "There's an extra board up there if you're feeling brave!"

Danielle smiled, then shook her head. "No thanks," she said. "Water's way too cold for me. You guys have fun, though."

"Oh, we will," Mike said reassuringly. "Last one to the water's a rotten egg!"

With that, Mike took off running toward the grey waves, followed quickly by the rest of the group. They laughed as they raced to the water, then cried out with a combination of shock and amusement when they hit the undoubtedly freezing water. Danielle smiled a bit, watching as they all jumped on their boards and began paddling out, before turning to head back to the rest of the group. She sat down next to Bella, who smiled briefly, then joined in on the conversation taking place.

They sat around for a while, until Angela and the boys named Lee and Conner decided that they wanted to go take a hike through the forest so they could go see something called the 'tide pools'. Danielle didn't know what that was exactly, but she quickly opted to join them, and because she had decided to go, Bella agreed to come along as well. She was relieved when the girl named Lauren decided to stay back with the girl named Samantha.

Danielle, Bella, Angela, Conner and Lee left the bonfire behind and made their way into the forest. The little amount of sunlight that they had been exposed to on the beach immediately disappeared once they were underneath the thick canopy of the green forest, but Danielle didn't mind. It was her first real venture into the forest since coming to Forks, and she found herself oddly entranced by her surroundings. She only half listened to the conversation Angela, Conner, and Lee were having, instead focusing more on their gorgeous surroundings. She ran her fingertips along damp, moss covered tree trunks and wet, berry decorated bushes as she walked past them, uncaring of the mud beginning to cake up on her boots. She stopped when a low hanging branch came into view and reached up to touch the soft leaves, smiling to herself.

"Is there a reason you're petting trees?" Bella asked behind her.

Danielle looked back, noticing the fact that Bella was walking very carefully and very slowly as she made her way closer to where Danielle stood. "I like the forest," Danielle said with a shrug. "Everything is just so…green and _pretty_."

"Yeah, and _dangerous_ ," Bella added when she almost tripped over a tree root that was jutting up from the ground. "I feel like I'm going to face plant any second now," she said, eyeing the ground warily.

"Knowing your track record, I'm genuinely shocked you haven't face planted _already_ ," Danielle teased.

"You should really consider a career as a stand-up comedian," Bella shot back dryly.

Danielle laughed, then offered her friend an arm once she was close enough. "Hang on to me, buddy," she said. "I'll make sure you don't break anything."

Bella smiled gratefully and linked her arm with Danielle's. "Thanks."

They finally broke through the trees and reached the shore again. She soon discovered what a tide pool actually was – there were pockets of little ponds that were close to the shore, pockets that would have been underwater during high tide, but never fully drained when it was low tide, like right now. Danielle left Bella behind as her friend found a large rock next to one of the ponds to perch on, her jaw dropped with awe as she stepped across the rocks, her eyes fixed on the natural aquariums below. There were starfish, hermit crabs, eels, and other marine life in the ponds, just waiting for the tide to rise again so that they could return to the sea that was not so far away. Danielle followed Angela, Conner, and Lee as they jumped from rock to rock, being careful not to slip on the slick surface of the rocks. She wondered if Jasper had ever been here, wondered if Jasper had ever seen anything like this.

They stayed there for a long while, jumping around on the rocks and pointing out interesting looking shells or anemones to each other. The boys horsed around quite a bit and threatened to push one another into the water, which made Danielle and Angela roll their eyes and keep their distance, just to they wouldn't become unsuspecting targets. They had probably been there for nearly half an hour when the boys announced that they were getting hungry and that they should start making their way back. Danielle followed Angela, Conner, and Lee back toward the forest, stopping once she was next to Bella and offering her arm again. Bella once again linked her arm with Danielle's, and together they trailed behind the other three as they started back toward the bonfire. Bella slipped a few times, but with Danielle's help, she managed to stay on her feet. Bella smiled gratefully each time, though she seemed a bit embarrassed by her own clumsiness.

Once they were back on the beach, they found that the group who had gone surfing had decided to take a break. They were sitting around the bonfire with towels around their shoulders to shield them from the wind as they dried off. But what surprised Danielle was the fact that the group had grown in size since they had left – there were now three new people sitting with their friends, all of them guys, all of them copper-skinned and sporting long, silky dark hair. They must have been from the reservation, she decided.

"Hey, Bella!" one of the younger looking boys said with enthusiasm as they approached. He broke away from his two friends and came running toward them, until he was standing right in front of them.

"Hey, Jacob," Bella greeted with a friendly smile. "What're you doing here?"

The boy named Jacob scoffed with amusement. "You're on _my_ rez, remember?" he pointed out.

Bella laughed. "Of course." She looked over at Danielle, who was looking back and forth between the two as she tried to figure out how they knew one another. "Dani, this is Jacob Black. He's an old family friend," she introduced. "He's the one my dad bought my truck off of."

Danielle nodded in understand. "Ah, I see." She smiled at Jacob and stepped forward to shake his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Jacob," she said politely. "I'm Danielle, but everyone calls me Dani."

Jacob shook her hand, giving her a big, friendly grin in return. He was obviously younger than both of them, but cute in a boyish kind of way. "It's nice to meet you, Dani."

"Dani's new to town," Bella pointed out as Danielle and Jacob stopped shaking hands. "She moved here from Texas back in January."

"Wow," Jacob said, raising his brows a bit. "Big change, huh?"

"Definitely," Danielle said with a nod. "I like it here, though," she added with a smile.

"Cold weather? Constant rain? Almost zero sunshine? What's not to like?" Jacob asked jokingly.

Danielle and Bella laughed.

The three of them stood there talking for a few minutes, until Danielle glanced over and noticed that Conner and Tyler were struggling to get the little bar-b-que pit started. Danielle, who was beginning to get quite hungry herself and didn't want to wait for them to get it together, excused herself from the conversation with Jacob and Bella and went over to the pit, raising her brows questioningly.

"Need some help?" she asked.

Conner and Tyler glanced at her, looked at each other, then turned skeptical looks back to her. "You know how to get something like this started?"

Danielle scoffed and quirked a brow. "I'm from Texas. We're practically _born_ knowing how to work a bar-b-que pit," she said pointedly. She then motioned for them to pass the matches and the bag of charcoal over. "Give it to me. I'll have this thing going in no time."

Conner and Tyler finally did so, then stood back and crossed their arms as they watched her get to work. Within minutes, the coal at the bottom of the bar-b-que pit had a decent fire going. Danielle put the lid back on the pit, set the bag of charcoal to the side, then turned a bright smile on the two boys, who looked both impressed _and_ surprised. "Give it a little bit of time to burn. When the coals are white, it's ready to go," she instructed.

"Er, thanks," Conner said, before smiling at her and giving her a look that she was not unfamiliar with. There was a spark of interest in his eyes now, a look that was more than just friendly. "You're good at that. I'm impressed," he said, nodding his head.

Danielle just shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "What can I say? It's a gift," she joked.

She went to sit next to Angela after that and began munching on some chips as they waited for the hot dogs and hamburgers. Jacob and his friends from the reservation had been invited to stay for lunch and had joined the group around the bonfire. Bella and Jacob claimed a log of drift wood across the way, while his friends were sitting on the piece next to the one Danielle and Angela sat on. Danielle nodded at the oldest looking boy of the three Quileute's when their eyes met, but they didn't talk much.

Eventually the hot dogs and hamburgers were ready and everyone got up to make a plate of food. Once everyone had a plate of lunch, they sat down around the bonfire again. Danielle sat next to Angela again, then was rather surprised when Conner decided to claim the open space on her left. He flashed her a big grin, then dug into his lunch. Danielle just looked at him for a moment, then scooted a fraction closer to Angela and began eating.

They talked all through lunch, asking Jacob and his friends curious questions about life on the reservation, then answering whatever questions they had in turn. The boys seemed friendly, Danielle decided, and they were easy enough to talk to. After lunch, everyone started to break away to do their own thing. One or two went back into the water to get another surf session in, while those who had not gone with Danielle and her friends on their hiking trip earlier quickly grouped together and headed into the forest so that they could see the tide pools for themselves. Eventually, the only people left around the bonfire were Danielle, Angela, Bella, Jacob, his two friends from the reservation, Tyler, the girl named Lauren, and Conner.

"So, Danielle," Conner started. "Or should I call you Dani?" he quickly followed up.

"Dani's fine," she said with a polite smile.

"Alright," Conner said, smiling. "So, Dani, how are you liking Forks so far?"

It was a question she'd gotten a hundred times before, and she couldn't help feeling a small surge of annoyance at being asked again. But she told herself to be patient – she had only just met Conner and he was just being polite. "It's nice," she said with a nod. "It was an adjustment at first, but I've gotten used to it."

"That's good," Conner said with a nod. "It must be hard, you know, coming to a new school so late into your senior year."

"Yeah, it was," Danielle admitted. "But I've made some really good friends since I came here, so that makes it easier," she said with a smile, her thoughts immediately turning to Jasper.

"Oh, she's made some _friends_ alright," a voice muttered sarcastically from across the bonfire.

Danielle frowned and glanced at the person who had spoken, which was Lauren. The girl had a haughty expression on her face, which immediately rubbed Danielle the wrong way. Lauren looked away when she noticed that Danielle was watching her, though, and didn't say another word.

"Are you going to the Spring Fling next week?" Conner asked, either oblivious to Lauren's comment or just choosing to ignore it.

Danielle stared at Lauren for a moment longer, then looked back at Conner. "I am, yes," she confirmed.

Conner gave her a charming smile. "Do you have a date or are you just going with friends?"

"I have a date," she confirmed, which made Conner's smile falter.

"Oh," he said, sounding the tiniest bit disappointed. "Who are you going with?"

Danielle started to answer, but someone else beat her to the punch. "Isn't it obvious?" It was Lauren again, and as everyone in the vicinity looked at her, she scoffed in a very unladylike way. "She's going with that _Cullen_ guy. The one named _Jasper_." Danielle had always liked the sound of Jasper's name, but hearing it come out of _Lauren's_ mouth instantly grated her nerves. "She's always hanging out with him. Obviously there's something going on there," she said, as if this should have been common knowledge by now.

"Cullen?" the oldest boy from the reservation interjected, his brows furrowing together. "You mean Dr. Carlisle Cullen's son?"

The fact that he seemed to know who the Cullen's were momentarily surprised everyone. "Yeah," Lauren confirmed. "You know them or something?"

"I know who they are," he said gruffly. His previous friendliness had disappeared, his expression now full of dislike. "The Cullen's don't come here," he then stated firmly.

It was an odd thing to say, and it made everyone peer at him with curiosity for a moment. Danielle and Bella shared a long, significant look, one that had Danielle believing that they were thinking the same thing – the way he had said that, his tone, had suggested that the Cullen's didn't come to La Push because they didn't want to. It implied that they didn't come because they weren't _allowed_. But why? Why _wouldn't_ they be allowed to come here?

Eventually Conner recovered and shook his head, then turned back to Danielle with a look of slight disappointment. "So you're going to the dance with Jasper then?" he asked, redirection the conversation back to what they'd been talking about before the Quileute boy had interrupted.

"Yes, I am," she confirmed, before turning narrowed eyes at Lauren. "Is that a _problem_?" she asked.

Lauren flicked her hair away from her face, then shrugged a shoulder. "I just think it's interesting how you've managed to get so _close_ to the Cullen's since you came here," she said. "Until you and Bella came along, they never bothered to acknowledge the rest of us," she added, glancing around pointedly at anyone who _wasn't_ Danielle or Bella. "Suddenly you two are here, and they can't seem to stay away."

"Lauren," Angela said warningly, giving her a wide-eyed look that plainly said to drop the subject. Lauren just ignored her.

Danielle flushed, and when she chanced a look at Bella, she saw that her friend was blushing too. "So?" she asked, trying not to sound defensive.

"So…it makes me wonder. What makes _you two_ so special?" she asked, trying – and failing – to hide the jealousy in her tone. "Why do they hang out with you, but ignore the rest of us?"

Danielle smiled sarcastically, feeling her annoyance, and her dislike for this girl, increasing by the second. She didn't know why this girl, who she had only met today, was being so nasty, but Danielle was going to make sure Lauren knew that she didn't appreciate the way she was acting. "Maybe they just think you're too _boring_ to be around," she said, which made Lauren's eyes go wide. "Or maybe you're too _petty_. Or, perhaps, they just stay away from rude people who like to stick their noses in business that doesn't concern them."

Lauren turned an interesting shade of purple, looking equal parts enraged and embarrassed. Finally, she stood up and stomped away, her hair whipping in the wind as she went. The rest of the group watched her go, before looking at Danielle. Danielle just sat straighter, feeling thoroughly unapologetic for the things she'd said. Lauren had deserved it, as far as she was concerned. That should teach her to mind her manners next time.

"I'll, uh…go talk to her," Tyler said, before standing up and quickly walking away.

There was an awkward silence after that. Conner eventually muttered out some excuse about needing to go get something and walked away, while Jacob turned to Bella shortly after and asked if she wanted to go for a walk. She gave Danielle another long look, but agreed to go and soon left.

Danielle found herself now in the company of Angela and the two Quileute boys, both of whom were looking at her with curiosity. The two shared a look, before the older of the two boys stood up and came over to her, claiming the empty space that Conner had just ben occupying. Danielle looked at him unsurely, noting his serious expression and the probing look in his eyes.

"You and the other girl…you know the Cullen's?" he asked bluntly.

Danielle frowned a bit, not entirely sure she knew why he was asking. She looked at Angela, who shrugged, then looked back at the boy. "We know a few of them, yes," she confirmed. "Why do you ask?" she then questioned, her tone almost defensive.

He paused for a moment to peer intently into her eyes, as if searching for some sort of answer. "You're _close_ with the one named Jasper?" he asked next, ignoring her question. "You're… _with him?_ " he pried.

Danielle stiffened, her frown deepening even more. "I fail to see how that's any of _your_ business," she said edgily. "Now I'll ask you again," she continued. "Why exactly are you prying into my personal business?"

But again, the boy didn't answer. "You should be careful around him. And _all_ the Cullen's for that matter," he warned. "In fact, if you knew what was _good_ for you, you'd do yourself a favor and stop hanging around them altogether."

" _Excuse me_?" Danielle retorted, wondering what this guy's problem was and what made him think he had the right to tell her who she should, or should not, be spending her time with.

"The Cullen's are dangerous," he said firmly. "And you shouldn't be around them. Feel free to pass that message along to your friend, too."

There was that word again. _Dangerous._ Danielle stared at him in shock, stunned by what he had just said, then started to ask him just what exactly made him think the Cullen's were so dangerous. Before she could, however, he stood up and turned to the other boy, motioning that it was time to leave. He gave Danielle one last look, then, with his friend in tow, they left. Danielle watched him go, her mouth agape.

"Okay, that was really weird," Angela commented. "What was _his_ problem?" she then asked with a frown.

The question pulled Danielle from her momentary stupor. She shook her head, then looked at Angela with a helpless shrug. "Hell if I know," she admitted.

Angela sighed, then shook her head. "Well, at least he's gone now."

In an attempt to ward off the awkwardness that had just fallen over them, Angela asked if she wanted to go walk by the beach. Danielle agreed, and they soon set off toward the water to get in a post-lunch stroll. But even as Angela told her about an interesting book she'd just started reading, Danielle hardly paid attention. All she could hear were the words of the Quileute boy in her head, and they were nothing but fuel to the fire of confusion that had already been burning away within since the last time she'd seen Jasper.

 _The Cullen's are dangerous. And you shouldn't be around them._

* * *

A little while later, after nearly everyone had returned from their various adventures, rain clouds finally began to form in the sky overhead and it began to sprinkle, which meant that their beach trip was now coming to an abrupt and unceremonious end. Danielle worked with the others to quickly move their things back up to the parking lot and load them into the vehicles, carefully ignoring Lauren and making sure to stay as far away from her as possible. They had nearly finished packing when Danielle realized that neither Bella, nor Mike or Jessica, was present. She walked up to the edge of the parking lot and held a hand above her eyes to shield them from the rain drops now drizzling down from the sky, searching the beach down below for any sign of her friends.

"Any sign of them?" Angela asked as she appeared by Danielle's side.

Danielle shook her head. "No, not yet," she said with a sigh. She was anxious to leave before the rain _really_ started to come down, but she was even _more_ anxious to talk to Bella about what the Quileute boy had said to her.

"Well, they'd better hurry up," Angela said. "I don't get rained on for _anyone_."

Danielle smiled, then left her post and headed back to the suburban to wait with the others. Thankfully, they only had to wait a few more minutes before Mike, Jessica, and Bella came hurrying into the parking lot. Jacob was not with them, but that didn't surprise her – she figured he had gone his own way. She pushed away from suburban to greet them, but froze when she caught sight of the look on Bella's face. She looked like she had something she very much wanted to tell her, and looked like she might very well burst if she wasn't able to say it soon.

"Bella? What is it?" Danielle asked quietly as her friend grabbed her by the sleeve of her jacket and led her away from the rest of the group.

"There's something I need to tell you," she hissed. "Something _crazy_."

Danielle nodded vehemently. "There's something I need to tell you, too," she said, thinking of her conversation with the Quileute boy. "Something _weird,_ " she added.

Before either had a chance to elaborate, however, Mike's voice rose above everyone else's. "Alright! Let's get outta here before the rain tries to drown us!"

Danielle and Bella shared a look, both of them desperate to talk to the other, but then finally sighed with resignation and began heading to the suburban. "Later," Bella said. "We'll talk once we're away from everyone else."

Danielle just nodded in agreement.

The ride back to Forks seemed to take ages. It was torture, sitting next to Bella the whole way but not being able to talk to her about whatever it was that had happened while she'd been off with Jacob. It didn't help that Bella continuously fidgeted and kept shooting her glances the whole ride, as if the words she was trying to keep contained would burst out of her at any given moment. Bella was moving around so much that even Eric, who was sitting behind them, jokingly asked if she was doing the pee-pee dance. Bella finally stopped fidgeting after that, though she did _not_ stop shooting meaningful looks at Danielle for the rest of the way home.

Danielle could have sung with relief when Mr. Newton's Olympic Outfitters store finally came into view. Once the two vehicles containing the beach group had parked and everyone had gotten out, they stood around for a few minutes, discussing possibilities of when they could go out to La Push again and congratulating one another on a successful beach day. Finally, when Danielle could stand it no longer, she told everyone that she and Bella needed to go and grabbed Bella by the sleeve, practically _dragging_ her away from the rest of the group. After calling out a few goodbyes, they finally turned and began walking quickly to the truck.

The moment they were in the truck and safely away from any possible eavesdroppers, Danielle turned a desperate look on Bella.

"Okay, I've been _dying_ ," she said urgently. "What happened? What do you need to tell me?"

"It's about the Cullen's," Bella said quickly.

Danielle waved a hand, urging her to continue. "What _about_ them?"

Bella hesitated for a moment and gnawed on her bottom lip, looking unsure of whatever it was that she was about to say. "Alright, what's about to come out of my mouth is going to sound crazy and stupid and absolutely _ridiculous,_ " she prefaced. "But…while I was walking with Jacob, we started talking about the Quileute's and all their legends and stuff. He told me about the tribe and how they were created. He mentioned how they were descendent from wolves, and how during the great flood his people made something similar to Noah's Ark, and – "she listed off.

"What do wolves and flooding and Noah's Ark have to do with the Cullen's?" Danielle interrupted impatiently, eager for Bella to get to the point.

" _Nothing_ ," Bella replied just as impatiently. "It's what he told me next that has to do with them." Bella sucked in a deep breath, then gave her a very serious look. "He told me that a long time ago, his great-grandfather encountered _cold ones,_ " she said.

Danielle frowned. "Cold ones?" she repeated.

"Yeah. You know… _blood drinkers_ ," she said with emphasis.

Danielle blinked at her, before her brows furrowed together. "You mean _vampires_?" she asked, her tone slightly incredulous.

Bella looked relieved that Danielle had figured out what she was trying to say, as if she hadn't wanted to say the word _vampire_ out loud. "Exactly. Supposedly this coven of – " She paused and waved her hand, as if trying to prompt Danielle to say the word again.

"Vampires?" Danielle offered, her tone full of disbelief.

Bella nodded, then continued on with the story now that Danielle had filled in the blank for her. "They settled here in Forks when Jacob's great-grandfather was the chief of the tribe. Now, since the Quileute's are descendants of wolves, they can apparently turn into werewolves. And the one true enemy of the werewolf are the cold ones. So, of course, they were freaked out when they discovered that there was a coven of them near their people. When the Quileute's met the coven, however, they realized that they were different from _other_ cold ones they had encountered. They didn't harm humans. They fed off of animals instead and tried to lead normal, human lives. Because of this, a treaty was set in place. The coven could stay in Forks as long as they stayed off of Quileute lands."

Danielle blinked at Bella a few times as she concluded her story. She was struggling to fully wrap her head around everything that she had just been told. "So what are you saying? The coven in Jacob's stories are the ancestors of the Cullen's or something?" Danielle asked in confusion.

"No," Bella said, her expression serious as she shook her head. "The Cullen's _are_ that coven."

A deafening silence settled over them after that, broken up only by the rapid _PING PING PING_ of raindrops bouncing off the metal of the truck. While Bella watched her anxiously, waiting to hear what her response to all of this would be, a battle began to wage within Danielle's head. The rational side to her immediately said that this was all just a story and in _no way_ true. This wasn't a movie. This wasn't a fantasy novel. This was _real life_. And in real life, vampires didn't exist. Sure, there were myths and legends all over the place, and she knew there were people out there who _did_ believe that vampires existed – or at last, _had_ existed at one point or another. But Danielle was _not_ one of those people.

But then she thought about what the Quileute boy had said. _The Cullen's are dangerous_. _You shouldn't be around them._ And then she began to think of Jasper, and the things _he_ had said to her. How there were things about him she didn't know, how he'd been afraid to go to the dance with her because he felt that getting too close would make things ' _difficult_ ' for him. How he hadn't kissed her because he'd said it was too dangerous, and that he needed more time. And then, of course, there was Edward, telling Bella she should stay away from him, how they shouldn't be friends because he was dangerous for her.

Did they keep insisting that they were dangerous because they _were_ vampires? Because they feared that if they got to close, they wouldn't be able to resist the temptation of human blood?

Even as the questions flew through her mind, every logical part of her immediately and vehemently rejected the notion. No matter how confusing things were when it came to Jasper and the Cullen's, this _couldn't_ be the answer. They _couldn't_ be vampires.

"Dani?" Bella finally asked timidly. "What are you thinking?"

Danielle finally snapped out of it and shook her head. "I'm thinking this is all freaking _insane_ ," she said honestly. "Vampires aren't _real,_ Bella."

"I know how insane it sounds!" she said with a sigh. "But…I mean…think about it. In some small, weird way…doesn't it kind of make sense?"

Danielle gave her a look. "How do you figure?" she asked with a heavy dose of skepticism.

"Jacob calls them the _cold ones_ ," she said pointedly "I've felt Edward before. He was _cold._ Is Jasper the same way?"

Danielle thought about Jasper, and how cold he always was whenever she touched him. Emmett was cold to the touch as well, and, admittedly, Edward had been too the one time she'd shaken his hand. She'd always chalked it up to them being cold natured, though, or perhaps to the cold weather outside. "Well, _yes_ , but – "

"And the day I met Edward, his eyes were black," Bella interrupted before Danielle could get another word out. "You said Jasper's were black, too, remember?"

"I _thought_ they were at the time, but I think it was just a trick of the lighting," Danielle said in a rush.

"Or maybe it _wasn't_ ," Bella countered. She took a deep breath, then gave Danielle a serious look. "The day Tyler's van almost crushed me. The day Edward _saved_ me – " she began to say.

"Oh, not _this_ again," Danielle said with dismay, knowing _exactly_ what Bella was about to say.

" _Just listen_!" Bella insisted. Danielle pressed her lips together and didn't say another word. When Bella was satisfied that Danielle wasn't going to interrupt, she continued. "I know you don't believe me, but I've said it a hundred times. _I know what I saw_ ," she said firmly. "Edward ran from one side of the parking lot to the other in the blink of an eye, jumped in front of me, and _pushed_ the van away with his _bare hands_. Ever since then I've tried to figure out _how_ he would have been able to do that, but other than radioactive spiders, I've got _nothing_. Now I hear this and…it's got me thinking," she said with a helpless shrug. "If he was a… _vampire_ …would he have super human speed and strength? Would he be able to stop a van from crushing me to death?" She paused, then shrugged. "Maybe he could."

Danielle frowned. "Bella, listen to what you're saying," she said. "You're talking about _vampires_ and _werewolves_ , for Christ's sake! This isn't a _movie_. This is _real life_."

"Look, it's confusing to me, too, alright?" she admitted. She heaved and pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment. "I just…I don't know what's going on in my head anymore," she said, sounding almost weary now. "All I know is that I've felt like there's _something_ about Edward that I just didn't get. And now I hear _this_ and…" She trailed off and shook her head, before giving Danielle a questioning look. "Haven't you ever felt that way with Jasper?" she asked, almost pleadingly, as if she was hoping she wasn't the only insane person currently in this truck. "Like there's something he's hiding from you? Something _big_?"

Danielle gulped as she considered the question. The truth was that she had spent the last two days thinking there was something that Jasper was keeping from her, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. But a _vampire_? Was that really the answer? She didn't think so, and she didn't think it was wise to entertain the idea in any way, shape, or form.

"They're not vampires, Bella," she said firmly, choosing _not_ to answer Bella's question. "Jacob might be one hell of a story teller, but that's all this is – a _story_. It's not true. It _can't_ be."

Bella looked at her for a long moment, then sighed heavily. She didn't say anything for a long few seconds, but eventually nodded in acceptance. "You're probably right," she admitted, albeit reluctantly so. She sighed again and rubbed her face. "I feel stupid for even bringing it up," she admitted, looking embarrassed now.

"You're not stupid," Danielle insisted at once.

Bella started to say something in response, but a sudden knock on her window made them both jump and let out sounds of surprise. For one wild, irrational moment, Danielle half expected a vampire or a werewolf to be outside the truck. To her relief, it was nothing of the sort. It was Mike who had just knocked on the window, and as he stood in the rain and peered at them through the glass, he looked concerned. Danielle realized then that everyone else had left except for them, which Mike had obviously noticed. Bella glanced at Danielle, then rolled down her window.

"Everything okay?" he asked uncertainly. "Is something wrong with your truck?"

Bella forced on a smile. "No, no. Everything's fine. We were just…talking," she said reassuringly.

"Okay," Mike said, though he sounded a bit skeptical. "I'll see you later, then."

He took a step back away from the truck after that, but didn't leave just yet. When it became clear that he was going to wait there until they left, Bella rolled up her window and finally put the keys in the ignition, starting the truck with a loud, resounding roar. They waved to Mike one last time, then pulled out of the parking lot and began driving back toward their houses. And as if they had come to some silent, mutual agreement, they did not speak for the rest of the ride.

Once they were parking in front of Bella's house, Bella cut the engine and turned to Danielle. "Didn't you have something to tell me?" she asked curiously. When Danielle, who had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she'd forgotten about everything else, gave her a confused look, she raised her brows. "Back at the beach, you said you had something to tell me. Something weird."

Danielle instantly remembered the Quileute boy and the strange warnings he'd given her. But just as quickly, she decided _not_ to tell Bella about that. It seemed like a bad idea, considering what they'd just discussed. It would only throw fuel on the fire, and this particular fire was one that needed to be stamped out, not reinforced.

"It's nothing," she said with a shake of her head. "Don't worry about it."

"You sure?" Bella asked skeptically.

Danielle nodded. "I'm sure."

"Okay."

They said their goodbyes after that, then exited the truck and quickly ran toward their respective houses so that they wouldn't get too drenched from the rain. The moment Danielle was within the safety of her own home, she heaved heavily and leaned back against the front door, her eyes sliding closed. She then slid down until she was sitting on the floor, her head thumping back against the door.

That beach outing had _not_ ended the way she thought it would. Of everything that could have happened, of everything they could have discussed, Jasper and his family being _vampires_ was the last thing she had expected Bella to throw her way. And now that the idea was there – despite it being the most _ludicrous_ idea she'd ever heard – she couldn't seem to get it out of her head. She had told Bella it wasn't possible, she had insisted that vampires didn't exist. But even so, now that she was left to her own thoughts and her own devices, a small, teeny, tiny part of herself couldn't help but to wonder…

What if she was _wrong_?

She thought back to every single moment she'd shared with Jasper, the good _and_ the bad. Had he ever done things that didn't make sense? Had he ever done anything that wasn't normal or… _human_? Perhaps… _yes_. She had been certain that his eyes had been black the day that they met, but had since convinced herself that she had just been seeing things – now she was beginning to have doubts about that. He was always cold to the touch, even if they were inside, and now, as she thought about all the times they'd sat together during lunch, he almost _never_ ate anything in front of her. _Because vampires don't eat human food_ , a voice said in her head. _Vampires don't_ _ **need**_ _human food._ And when she had invited Jasper to La Push, he had declined. _Because going on to Quileute land would break the treaty,_ that same, annoying, know-it-all voice pointed out.

Now she started thinking about Emmett, who was solid as a marble statue. He was cold, too. And though his eyes had never been black, they _were_ amber colored. Just like Jasper. Just like Edward. Just like Alice. They all had the same eye color, yet they weren't related by blood – was it a coincidence, or was that the way _all_ vampires looked? And as many times as she had dismissed Bella's beliefs concerning what had happened the day of the crash, Danielle thought about Edward, and how _fast_ he had been. Nobody was that fast – not even an Olympic sprinter. The only way someone could be that fast was if they weren't human. Was if they were…something _else._

Danielle suddenly growled with frustration and rubbed her face. She felt stupid and annoyed with herself for even allowing her thoughts to go down this path. What the hell was wrong with her? Was she losing her mind? How, when she had just told Bella over and over again that her newest theory about the Cullen's wasn't real, was she actually sitting her and _seriously_ contemplating it as a possibility? Was she an idiot? Was she losing her mind?

Danielle got up from the floor and stomped into the living room to turn on the television. She cranked it up as loud as she could, hoping the almost deafening volume would be enough to drown out her own thoughts. She didn't know what was going on with the Cullen's. Maybe Emmett and Edward were on steroids, maybe they all liked weird colored contacts. Maybe they couldn't get close to people because they were in the witness protection program, or hell, maybe they were in a freaking _cult_. The fact of the matter was that she didn't have any real clue why the Cullen's were the way that they were. But there was one thing she _did_ know.

Vampires were _not_ real, plain and simple.

Jasper Hale was _not_ a vampire. Nor was anyone else in his family. And that was _that._

End. Of. Story.

* * *

 **Review!**

 **And just to avoid any possible confusion, because I feel like _someone_ out there might get the wrong idea about that last line** **– no, that is not the actual end of the story. We've got a very, very long way to go before this saga is finished!**


	10. Chapter Nine

**Thank you for all the support and the kind words! You guys are awesome!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Nine_

 _Danielle smiled to herself as she walked through the emerald green forest, letting her fingers trail along the sturdy tree trunks on either side of her and giggling a bit whenever the leaves of the bushes she passed tickled her ankles. She looked down and saw that the white, flowy dress she wore had an inch's worth of mud and muck caking the bottom hem, but she didn't much mind. She didn't care that her bare feet were dirty either. She liked the feeling of mud between her toes, liked the way the forest floor felt beneath the soles of her feet._

 _The sound of a twig cracking in the distance made her pause. Danielle frowned a bit and looked around, her heart beginning to beat just a tick faster. She had thought she was alone in the woods, but obviously she was not. Was there another person nearby? Or was it an animal that had made that noise?_

 _There was a flash of color in her peripheral, which made her quickly look to the right. No one was there, however. There were only green trees and bushes and moss for as far as the eye could see. Gulping, Danielle continued forward, mindful of her surroundings now, her eyes bouncing around cautiously. When another twig cracked behind her, she gasped and whipped around, her hand pressing to her heart. Was something following her? Was something stalking her? Danielle stood there for a moment, eyes searching the trees, her breaths coming a little quicker and a little harder. When nothing presented itself to her, she finally turned back around to resume her trek._

 _That was when she saw him. Jasper, looking beautiful as he leaned against a tree, wearing clothes that were most certainly not from this time period. Danielle jumped in surprise, but instantly felt herself relax as he gave her a slow, charming smile._

 _"_ _Jasper," she breathed, a smile tugging at her lips. She was happy to see him, even if his choice of clothing was very strange. "What are you doing here?"_

 _"_ _I came for you," he said, his deep voice sending pleasant shivers through her body._

 _He pushed away from the tree he'd been leaning against and walked toward her. Danielle felt mesmerized as she watched him approach, feeling her heart pound in her chest for an entirely new reason now. When Jasper reached her, he placed one hand on her neck and the other on her waist, pulling her close to his chest. The material of her dress was thin, which made it easy to feel how ice cold his hands were. She shivered, but did not pull away. Not when he was looking at her the way he was._

 _"_ _Do you trust me, Danielle?" he asked, his amber eyes searching hers intently._

 _Danielle leaned into him, knowing that her expression alone was likely already giving him all the answer he needed. "Yes, Jasper," she said quietly. "Yes."_

 _Jasper smirked. "Good."_

 _He hesitated for only a moment, then leaned down to claim her lips in a fiery kiss. Danielle moaned with pleasure, her arms snaking around his neck and her fingers twirling into his soft, blonde hair, her lips moving eagerly with his. Jasper kissed her until she melted against him, then pulled his lips from hers so that he could press kisses all along her jaw, making her head fall backward with pleasure. He stopped once he was at her neck, then lifted his gaze to hers._

 _"_ _Don't worry," he said, his voice gravely and full of yearning. "This will only hurt for a bit."_

 _It took a moment, but eventually his words broke through the haze of desire that had clouded her mind. Blinking, she looked at Jasper with confusion…then felt her eyes go wide with fear. Jasper's eyes were black, and he now had two sharp, lethal looking fangs protruding from his canines. He suddenly hissed at her, his beautiful face contorting with hunger. Danielle realized in an instant what was about to happen, and as Jasper reared back and violently sunk his teeth into her neck, she let out a bloodcurdling scream._

Danielle jerked awake, gasping as she sat upright in bed. Her chest was heaving as she panted with fear and she was covered in sweat. She reached a hand up to her neck, certain she could still feel Jasper's teeth in her neck. Finally, after a few seconds, the feeling subsided and, as she realized she was still safely in her room, she began to relax.

Releasing a heavy breath, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and let her feet rest on the floor, her face dropping into her hands. The dream was still fresh in her mind, and though she knew good and well that the Jasper from her dream was _not_ anything like the Jasper from real life, she still shivered a bit with fear. She could clearly remember how incredible Jasper had looked, and how wonderful his kiss had felt in the dream. But she could also remember the way Jasper's fangs had shined and glimmered, how _painful_ they had felt when they had torn into her neck.

Danielle let out a shaky breath. "It was just a dream," she muttered to herself. "It wasn't real."

For the rest of the previous day, she had tried very hard not to think about what she and Bella had discussed. She had kept herself busy by cleaning the house from top to bottom, washing all of her and her mother's dirty clothes that had accumulated over the week, and finishing up any homework she hadn't already done. It had been an enormous relief when her mother had come home from work, simply because she hadn't wanted to be alone, and it had been an even _bigger_ relief when Lynne, impressed with how clean the house was and reluctant to do anything to mess it up, had suggested they go out for dinner. It had been a welcome respite, getting out of the house, where it was hard to avoid thoughts of Jasper and vampires and the Quileute werewolves from La Push. Instead, she'd been able to distract herself with sights of the town, conversation with her mother, and the hustle-and-bustle of the Forks residents around them.

Night time had been a different story, however. Once she was alone in her room, all of the thoughts she'd been trying to avoid flooded back to her. Nothing – not reading a book, listening to music, or even talking with Tom – had been able to fully chase away the strange stories and theories that Bella had told her after the beach trip. And considering the dream she had just had, sleep, evidently, hadn't been enough to ward those thoughts away, either. It was as if a seed had been planted in her mind, and she had a feeling it would only continue to grow, regardless of whether or not it was watered.

A knock on her door finally caught her attention. "Dani? Sweetheart?" Lynne's voice floated through the closed door. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," she called back, her voice still a bit hoarse with sleep. "I'm awake."

The door opened and Lynne poked her head in, smiling in her usual, loving way. "I've made some breakfast if you're – " But then she stopped smiling abruptly, her face filling with concern as she got a good look at Danielle. "Dani! Are you alright?" she asked, rushing into the room and hurrying over, so that she stood right in front of her. "You look _awful_ ," she said, before pressing a hand to her forehead. "Are you feeling sick?"

"No, I'm okay," Danielle insisted, not wanting her mother to worry over her. "I just…didn't sleep well and have a _monster_ headache." But then Danielle cringed, immediately regretting saying the word _'monster'_. The word made her think of horror movies, which made her think of vampires, which then, inevitably, led her to think about Jasper.

Lynne clicked her tongue with sympathy, clearly mistaking her cringe as one of pain. "I think you need to rest today," she said in a motherly tone. "Why don't you skip working at the shop today and stay here? I don't want you pushing yourself if you don't have to."

Danielle's eyes went wide at the thought of being home by herself all day long. There was no way she would make it. She would drive herself _insane_ if she was left alone with her thoughts. "No, no," she said, shaking her head quickly. "I'm fine, Mom, honestly. I'll just take some migraine medicine and I'll be right at rain, I promise."

Lynne seemed doubtful. "Are you sure?" she asked.

Danielle nodded. "Yes, I'm sure," she said without hesitation.

Lynne took a moment to think about it, then finally sighed and nodded. "Alright," she said. But then she pointed a stern finger at Danielle, her expression all business. "But if your headache doesn't go away or I think, for even a _second_ , that you're not feeling well, I'm bringing you home. Is that clear?"

Danielle smiled gently. "Crystal."

Lynne sighed, then leaned down to kiss Danielle on the forehead. "I'll be downstairs eating breakfast. I want you to come eat, too, then take some medicine. We'll leave for the shop in a few hours."

"Alright. I'll be right down. I just need to take a shower first," Danielle told her with a nod.

"Good," Lynne said, quirking a brow. "Because you stink something _fierce_ ," she then said, waving a hand in front of her nose as if trying to wave away a stench.

Despite everything, Danielle still cracked a smile. "Thanks, Mom. You're so sweet," she said with sarcasm.

Lynne just laughed, then patted her on the shoulder and left the room.

Alone again, Danielle sighed and ran a hand through her hair, before finally getting up from the bed and going to the window. She pulled the curtains back and looked outside, unsurprised to see that the momentary sunshine from the day before was long gone and that the sky was filled, once again, with thick, grey clouds. She stared at Bella's house for a moment, wondering how her friend was holding up and if she'd had just as rough of a night as _she_ had. It was almost enough to have her texting Bella – she even went to pick up her phone and started typing out a message. She stopped after only a few words, though, then pressed the backspace button until the message was gone, before setting her phone back down. There was no use asking – she'd probably see Bella soon, anyway. They could talk when they saw each other next. For now, she just wanted to take a shower and try to turn off her brain.

Danielle walked into the bathroom, turning on the water first, then turning to the sink so she could brush her while she waited for her shower to heat up. She eyed herself in the mirror, understanding very quickly why her mother had been concerned – she was pale, and there were bags under her eyes from a restless night of sleep. Danielle turned her gaze downward, not wanting to look at herself anymore, and quickly finished brushing her teeth. Then, after testing the water to make sure it was hot, she peeled off her slightly sweaty night clothes and stepped underneath the hot spray of the shower.

She _did_ feel a bit more like herself after taking a shower, and she felt even better once she had a nice, hot breakfast in her belly. The moment she finished eating, Lynne came over and pressed to Advil into her hand, which Danielle quickly took. They sat around for a little while longer while Lynne finished what Danielle suspected was her second cup of coffee, then finally decided to go ahead and go to the bookshop.

Being at the shop was the exact distraction she had been hoping for. There was a new display that needed to be set up in the window, which Danielle happily volunteered to take care of, and several shelves that looked as though they were in need of a good dusting. Even though it started raining not long after they arrived, there was still a steady flow of customers that came through the shop. Some came just to socialize with Lynne, while others came just to peruse the books or to hang out on some of the sofas that were set up in the corner. The highlight of Danielle's day came in the form of a cute little five year old girl, who had grabbed a book while her mother was busy chatting with Lynne and came over to Danielle to ask if she would read it to her. Unable to resist her big, pleading eyes, she nodded and followed her to the kid section, where she and the girl made themselves comfortable on a couple of bean bags and began reading together. By the end of it, Danielle found herself surrounded by a whole crowd of kids, all of whom listened on with smiles as she animatedly read not one, but _three_ different children's books.

"You know," Lynne commented once the reading session was over and all the children had finally been whisked out of the store by their parents. "You should consider coming in on Saturday mornings to read to the kids. You're a much better storyteller than I am, and those children were drawn to you like moths to a flame," she pointed out.

Danielle smiled, then shrugged. "Could be fun. I'll think about it," she said, nodding.

Lynne smiled, then nodded toward the clock. It was almost two, though how she had managed to be at the shop for three hours already, Danielle wasn't sure. "Why don't you take a break?" Lynne suggested.

"Okay," Danielle said. "I'll go grab us some sandwiches from down the street. You want the usual?" she asked, already heading for the door.

"Sure. Thanks," Lynne confirmed, before going to help a customer when they asked for help looking for a book.

Danielle left the shop and walked down the street, heading for the small coffee shop located on the corner. When she walked in, she was greeted by the barista, who knew her pretty well by now. She ordered the usual sandwiches that she and mother always got, as well as an iced tea for herself, then, after paying and receiving her food, headed back to the bookshop. She dropped her mother's sandwich off at the counter, then continued on toward a table located in the very back of the store, which was almost always vacant simply because hardly anyone ever went back there.

Danielle sat down and unwrapped her sandwich before taking a few bites, staring absentmindedly at the shelves of books around her. She had been too busy to think about Jasper since she'd arrived at the bookshop, but now that she was alone and her mind unoccupied, his beautiful face was the first thing that came to mind. She sighed and set her sandwich down, suddenly unable to eat as her stomach flipped at the thought of seeing him at school tomorrow.

In a way, she was excited to see him again, simply because this was the longest they had gone without seeing one another since they had become friends and because, at the end of the day, she _missed_ him. At the same time, however, how was she supposed to act normally around him after everything that had happened yesterday? How was she supposed to be around him when she was going to look at him and immediately find herself debating whether he was a vampire or not?

Danielle frowned as that word echoed through her mind. _Vampire._ It was a word that had taken on an entirely new meaning to her now, a word that made her feel like she didn't know how the world worked anymore. As adamant as she had been about the fact that vampires absolutely _were not real_ , as quickly and as assuredly as she had rejected the notion that Jasper, _her_ Jasper, was a blood-sucking, immortal being, now that some time had passed and her brain had had time to process everything, she could admit that there was a part of her that was starting to get…curious.

Danielle sat there for a moment, resting her chin on her hand, brows furrowed with thought. She allowed herself a moment to put rational thinking aside and to see things from a different perspective. What if Jasper _was_ a vampire? What if the Cullen's _were_ the coven from Jacob Black's stories?

Thinking back to everything she knew about the Cullen's, she supposed, in some strange way, that it _did_ explain a few things. If they were vampires, it made sense that they had distanced themselves from other people at school – getting too close to humans was likely a very big risk. It also explained why Jasper hadn't kissed her, why he was reluctant to let their relationship get too physical, and it shed a new light on the more confusing things he had said to her in recent days. As far as Rosalie Hale was concerned, Danielle thought that maybe it explained just where her animosity had come from. She obviously did not like the fact that Jasper was getting close to a human, which could end up being a serious problem for their family if something were to go… _wrong…_ between them.

But what she found herself thinking about the most was the day Edward had saved Bella from being crushed by Tyler's van. For weeks now she had thought that Bella had gotten it all wrong. That she had been confused and had seen things that hadn't really happened. But it had been a month and a half since that day, and Bella had not changed one word of her story. She was still adamant that Edward had done incredible things, things that no mere mortal could possibly do.

Now, she felt like she knew Bella pretty well by now – she would even go so far as to say that she was becoming one of her best friends. And she knew, without a shadow of doubt, that Bella was _not_ crazy, nor a liar. Perhaps, Danielle finally admitted to herself, Bella had been telling the truth all this time. Perhaps _Edward_ was the one who had lied to her when she'd talked to him at the hospital. He had seemed reluctant to talk to her at first, which was why he had tried to make a run for it when she'd gone to talk him. And once they had actually got to talking, he had been really quick to disprove all of the things she had shot at him, hadn't he?

Danielle tapped her fingers on the table now. If Bella _was_ telling the truth, then that definitely changed things. If Edward _had_ crossed the parking lot in less than a second, if he _had_ stopped a van with his bare hands, then he had to have _some_ kind of power, right?

And that was where the vampire question came back into play. Did vampires have super strength? Did they have super speed? What exactly could a vampire do? Danielle realized in that moment that her knowledge about vampires was limited only to what she had learned through books and movies. But that was all fiction, things that had been exaggerated for entertainment purposes. If vampires were real and walking the earth, what were they _really_ like?

Danielle, feeling on a mission now, got up from her chair and made her way to the non-fiction section. She knew finding books on vampires was probably a long shot, but it didn't hurt to try, right? She walked along the shelves, her fingertips running along the spines of the books. When she came across the tiny section dedicated to the Civil War – a section that was even smaller now that Jasper had purchased nearly half the books – she paused and sighed longingly, thinking of the different times she and Jasper had stood right here in this very spot together. After a moment, she shook her head and continued on. Now wasn't time to be getting sappy over Jasper – she had research to do.

It took some time, but she eventually managed to find some books dedicated to vampires. She picked out three – _The Vampire Encyclopedia, The Vampire: Myth or Real?,_ and _Vampires: Legends from Around the World._ Danielle carried the books back to her table in the back, opened the first one, and immediately began to flip through the pages.

She soon became immersed in the world of vampires in a way that she never had before. The books she had chosen far surpassed what vampires were presented as in movies, which painted them as lustful, bloodthirsty monsters who slept in coffins, were allergic to garlic and crucifixes, and couldn't step into sunlight without bursting into flames. Granted, most of what she read still didn't make vampires sound very enjoyable to be around, but there were bits and pieces that very much caught her attention. Like the story of a vampire in Romania who could move so quickly, he had been able to attack and kill most of the inhabitants of two towns separated by hundreds of miles in less than an hour. Super speed? Check. There was another story from Britain hundreds of years ago claiming that a vampire had taken up residence in a nearby castle, and when the village people discovered him and came to kill him, he used his strength to bring down the castle and kill his would be executioners. That was all the proof she needed to confirm super strength, as well. There were also a number of accounts emphasizing the ethereal beauty of vampires, of their alluring natures and their ability to manipulate people with their looks and their voice alone. Some stories even eluded to the fact that some vampires possessed special powers, like being able to read the thoughts of others.

When she took a break from reading to compare what the books had said against Jacob Black's story and the general behavior of the Cullen's, she could admit that there were definitely some differences. For one, according to Quileute legend the Cullen's did not attack people, which was certainly a good thing. They were all beautiful, just as the vampires in these books were, but they didn't seem to use that as a means of ensnaring unsuspecting victims…though, admittedly, Danielle could think of a number of times where Jasper needed only to look at her and she turned in bumbling, brainless idiot. When it came to coffins and garlic and sunlight, Danielle had no idea how true that was. But other than that, the Cullen's did not seem to fit the description of your typical, scary vampire. If they _were_ vampires, then they were – for lack of better description – the _good_ ones.

Danielle sat back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. What was happening to her? Was she _honestly_ sitting here, buried in vampire books, and allowing herself to seriously consider the possibility that the Cullen family was a coven of _vampires_? Had she lost her mind?

"Here you are!" a voice suddenly exclaimed, making Danielle jump with surprise. She pulled her attention away from the books strewn across the table and looked up at her mother, who was standing a few feet away with her hands on her hips. "I haven't seen you for over an hour!" Lynne pointed out. "I thought you had left, or that you had passed out!"

Danielle blushed and quickly closed the books, them stood up and began collecting them before her mother could see what she had been reading. "Sorry! I just started reading and kind of got…carried away," she said with a sheepish smile.

Lynne quirked a brow. "Uh huh," she grunted, before looking at the books in Danielle's arms. "What are you reading?" she asked curiously, taking a step closer. She grabbed the books from Danielle's reluctant hands and shuffled them around, peering at the titles with interest. She then looked at Danielle with uncertainty. "Since when are you so into vampires?" she asked.

Danielle quickly wracked her brain for a good excuse. "It's part of that project that Jasper and I are working on. You know, the one he was telling you about when he picked me up for school?" she lied. "We have to prove whether or not vampires were real, and present what we discover to the class."

Lynne made a face of understanding. "Oh, I see. Kind of a strange topic, if you ask me. And I'm no expert, but I'm pretty certain vampires have never – and will never – exist," she then added, shaking her head.

Danielle just smiled weakly in return, thinking it better if she didn't say anything on the matter.

"Well," Lynne said, passing the books back to her. "If it's for school, why don't you keep the books? That's a perk they comes with having a mother who owns a book store. Free books for life," she said with a smile and a wink.

Danielle smiled grateful as she held the books to her chest. She'd only been skimming the books for information so far – now that she was able to keep them, she already knew she'd read the books cover to cover as soon as she got home. "Thanks, Mom. That's a huge help."

"No problem," Lynne said. "Oh, and speaking of _Jasper_ ," she continued, which made Danielle instantly stiffen, "I was thinking…the dance is coming up quick and you don't have a dress yet. How about you and I cut out of here a little early and go do some shopping?" she offered, wagging her brows excitedly. "I hear there's a nice place in Port Angeles."

Danielle blinked in surprise, then sighed heavily. With everything that had happened in the past few days, she hadn't really been thinking about the Spring Fling. In fact, the only time it had crossed her mind had been when Conner had brought it up. Considering the way Jasper had left her, and considering the very weird turn things had taken in the past twenty four hours, she couldn't say with confidence that he would even still want to go.

"I dunno, Mom," she said with reluctance.

Lynne frowned at once. "What's wrong? Aren't you and Jasper still going?"

Danielle shrugged. "I think so," she said with skepticism. Then she sighed again. "I _hope_ so."

Lynne suddenly looked concerned. "Danielle, has something happened between you two? Are you fighting or something?" she pried, clearly sensing that something was definitely wrong.

"I wouldn't say that we're _fighting,_ " Danielle said with a shake of her head. "It's just…it's complicated. _He's_ complicated," she finally admitted.

"You're both in high school. What could _possibly_ be so complicated?" Lynne asked with a fair amount of skepticism.

Danielle shrugged helplessly. "That's the same question I've been asking myself for three days now," she grumbled.

Lynne looked at her for a moment, then stepped forward and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Look, I don't know what's happened between you two, but I _saw_ the way that boy looked at you. He cares about you, Dani. And I know you care about him, too. If you really like each other, you'll make it work," she said with an encouraging nod. "Just…talk to him. Communication is the key to _everything._ "

As much as she appreciated her mother's heartfelt advice, she had a feeling that talking to Jasper would be much easier said than done. Still, she nodded her head just to appease her mother. "You're right. I _should_ talk to him. And I _will_ talk to him," Danielle said. "Thanks, Mom," she added with a smile.

"You're welcome," Lynne said. She then raised her brows expectantly. "So, back to my original question. Do you want to go dress shopping for the dance?"

Danielle thought about it for a second, then nodded. "Why not?" she said with a shrug. "If Jasper changes his mind and I don't go to the dance, I can just save the dress for something else," She reasoned

Lynne pursed her lips. "Kind of a _glass half empty_ way of thinking, but I guess I'll take it," she said. She kissed Danielle on the forehead, then turned to leave. "I'll go and ask Patricia if she's okay with locking up tonight," she said as she walked away.

"Alright," Danielle said, watching her mother go.

Lynne paused before she could round a shelf, though, and turned back to Danielle. "And Dani?" she said, raising her brows. "I hope everything works out between you and Jasper. I've never seen you this happy before, and I want it to stay that way," she said sincerely.

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Me too, Mom," she said. "Me too." And she truly, honestly, meant it.

* * *

Danielle and her mother left the book shop right around four and headed to Port Angeles, where they quickly located a store that sold both formal and semi-formal dresses. As preoccupied as she had been all day, it was actually fun to try on different dresses and put on a little fashion show for her mother, who was more than happy to give her opinions, both good and bad. Eventually Danielle decided on a deep purple dress that had thick, tank-top style straps, was fitted around the torso, and flared out gently at the hips. The hem went to her knee, which meant she wasn't showing too much leg, and the neckline was modest enough to appease her mother, but still let her have _just_ enough cleavage to be a bit sexy. Danielle knew it was perfect the moment she put it on.

They bought the dress, then decided that since they are already out, they might as well find a place to eat. They chose a local bistro and sat there chatting and eating for the next two hours, before Lynne finally seemed to remember that it was a school night and announced that it was time to head back to Forks. By the time they returned home it was starting to get late, so they said goodnight to each other and headed off to their respective beds. Danielle didn't go to sleep right away though. She changed into comfy clothes and grabbed the books she'd brought back from her mother's store, before climbing into bed and resuming her research from earlier that day. She spent the next few hours reading more tales and legends about vampires from all over the globe, only stopping once her eyes began to grow heavy and her brain no longer could retain information. Finally, Danielle set the books aside, clicked off the bedside lamp, and went to sleep.

Because she had spent her entire day thinking and reading about vampires, it was no surprise that Danielle had another night full of dreams centered around the immortal beings. For most of the night, she had one dream after the other where she was chased by frightening, unfamiliar vampires who wanted nothing more than suck her blood. Though there _had_ been one dream in the midst of it all that had been just _strange_ , if not somewhat comical. In that particular dream, she had been thrust into a world that strongly resembled Alice in Wonderland, only instead of having tea time with the Mad Hatter, she'd found herself seated at a long table with Jasper and his siblings, all of whom had been dressed very eccentrically, had talked in strange accents, and extended their pinkies whenever they drank from their tea cups. Instead of drinking tea, like herself, they had been drinking blood.

For the second morning in a row, she woke feeling lethargic and unrested after a night of tossing and turning in her bed. It took several minutes before she was able to even fully open her eyes, let alone climb out of bed. When she finally _did_ open her eyes, she was greeted by a very surprising sight. There was orange light illuminating the curtains over her window and peeking in from around the edges.

Gasping with surprise, Danielle jumped out of bed and went to the window to throw back the curtains, her eyes going wide when she saw clear, blue skies and bright morning sunshine. This was, by far, the sunniest day she had seen since moving to Forks, and as the warmth of the sun's rays hit her face and filled her room, she closed her eyes with pleasure, relishing in the feeling.

Danielle got dressed for the day, wearing lighter, more breathable clothes since it wasn't quite as cold outside, then ate breakfast by the window, eager to get any ounce of sunlight she could. When she had finished, she grabbed it backpack and went to meet Bella so they could go to school.

Seeing the sun had put her in a good mood and had made her momentarily forget all about Jasper and the Cullen's and Jacob Black's stories of vampires and werewolves. But the moment she stepped outside and saw Bella waiting by the truck, all of it came rushing back to her, making her purse her lips with uncertainty and her stomach flip. She walked across the street, wondering how Bella had been handling everything and feeling like her previous day of researching had given them a lot to talk about.

"Hey," Danielle greeted as she stopped in front of Bella.

"Hey," she said back, giving her a small, awkward smile. "Great day, huh?" she then said, looking at the clear skies overhead.

"Yeah, it is," Danielle agreed.

A beat of silence passed. "How…how was the rest of your weekend?" Bella asked, trying to sound conversational.

Danielle shrugged. "Honestly? It's been a weird couple of days for me," she said bluntly.

Bella slowly nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Me too," she admitted.

Danielle looked at her for a moment, then sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about Saturday," she felt the need to apologize. "I wasn't trying to shut you out or make you feel like you were a crazy person or anything. It's just…of _all_ the things you could have thrown at me, the last I expected was for you to bring up _vampires_."

Bella quickly shook her head. "You don't have to apologize. I know how crazy all that sounded. I don't blame you for not believing it. I don't even know if I believe it _myself_."

Danielle gave her a long look, then sighed. "Well, you see, the thing is…I've been thinking about what you told me. A _lot,"_ she confessed, which definitely caught Bella's attention. "My curiosity got the better of me and I did a little bit of poking around yesterday, just to try to find out more about vampires. _Real_ vampires," she added pointedly. "And now, after really taking a long, hard look at everything, it's got me thinking that maybe…" Danielle sighed. "Maybe this isn't as farfetched as I thought."

Bella seemed completely taken aback. She had obviously not expected Danielle to have a change of heart when it came to her feelings toward this vampire theory. "Really?"

Danielle nodded. "I haven't been completely honest with you, Bella," she then confessed, knowing the time had come to tell her friend all of the things she had been keeping from her. "There are some things that have happened with Jasper that I haven't told you about."

"Like what?" Bella asked eagerly.

"Remember when Jasper came to talk to me after I invited him to the dance?" Bella nodded. "He told that he wanted to go with me, but was afraid that it would be unsafe. He said he thought that dancing with me and being close to me would be _difficult_ for him. He also said that there were things about himself that he hadn't told me, things he didn't feel _ready_ to tell me," she revealed, much to Bella's surprise. "And last Thursday, when he dropped me off at home, he…he almost _kissed_ me," she said, which made Bella's eyes go wide. "But he didn't. He chickened out at the last moment."

"Why?"

"He said he _couldn't_ kiss me. That he wasn't ready. That he needed more time. He said it was too _dangerous,_ " Danielle said pointedly.

"Dangerous?" Bella echoed, sounding dumbfounded.

"Dangerous," Danielle repeated firmly. "And I've never told anyone about this," she continued, "but when I'm around Jasper, something weird tends to happen. My emotions just kind of start bouncing all over the place, like I'm not even in control of them anymore. If I'm not with him, I'm fine. But then he comes along and they start doing all kinds of weird things."

"What do you mean?" Bella asked curiously.

"Well, if I get annoyed or stressed about something around him, I'll instantly feel calm. Or if I'm having a bad day, he'll suddenly make me feel happy. Other times, I'll feel unexpected rushes of affection when he looks at me, like I'm feeling _his_ feelings or something," she explained. "And when he was about to kiss me, the things I felt were just …" Danielle trailed off and blushed, her body tingling a bit as she remembered _exactly_ how it had felt. "I tried to write it off as mood swings. I tried to tell myself that it just happened because I like Jasper _that_ much. But I don't think it's true. It happens too frequently."

"You think _Jasper_ is doing all that? That he can, like…control emotions or something?" Bella asked.

"I didn't think so when I still firmly believed that he was a _normal_ guy," she said with a shrug. "Now I'm…not so sure. After everything I read yesterday, after what Jacob told you and after what his friend said to _me_ – "

"Wait," Bella interrupted. "Back up. What did his friend say to you?" she asked with furrowed brows.

Danielle's sucked in a breath. "When you and Jacob left to go talk, one of his friends – the same one who said the Cullen's didn't go to La Push – started asking me how I knew Jasper and whether or not we were together. When I asked him why he wanted to know, he wouldn't say. He just told me that the Cullen's were dangerous, and that I should stay away from him. That we _both_ should," she added, motioning back and forth between them. "That's what I was gonna tell you after the beach trip, but after everything you told me, I wasn't sure if I should bring it up."

Bella stared at her for a long moment as she fully processed what Danielle had told her, then sighed and shoved a hand through her dark hair. "So then what are you saying?" she finally asked. "You think it's true? You think they're… _vampires_?"

Danielle heaved, then shrugged helplessly. "I don't know _what_ I believe anymore," she said honestly. "But I suppose it _does_ explain some things that didn't make sense before. And I figure that if Edward really did the things you _say_ he did the day of the crash, then he has to be _something_. And if _he's_ something, then they're _all_ something, right?"

Bella blinked in surprise. She then gave her an earnest look, as if she was afraid to believe that she had heard what she _thought_ she had heard. "You mean…you believe me about Edward?" she asked.

Danielle hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. I think I do. I thought about it a lot yesterday, and I think…I think you're telling the truth."

There was an enormous look of relief on Bella's face now, as if it made her happy to know that someone else didn't think her crazy theories were so crazy anymore. But then she seemed to realize that if they both believed Edward _had_ done what Bella had been saying all along, then that also meant that their _other_ crazy theories regarding him and his family being a coven of vampires might be true, too. She gulped and shifted on her feet, looking unsure now.

"So…what do we do now?" she asked. "I mean, I've been thinking about this a _lot_ and did some research of my own," she admitted, which Danielle was not surprised to hear. "But if it _is_ true, I'm nowhere closer to knowing where we're supposed to go from here."

"Well," Danielle sighed, "something tells me that asking them point blank if they're vampires wouldn't go over very well, regardless if they are or not," she said. "I guess we just…wait and see what happens?"

Bella pursed her lips. "Doesn't sound like much of a plan," she commented.

Danielle quirked a brow. "You got a better idea?"

Bella thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. "No," she admitted.

"Alright then," Danielle said with a nod of finality. She then looked down at her watch, her eyes widening when she realized that they had been talking for longer than she had realized. "We should get going or were gonna be late for school."

Bella nodded, and without saying another word they both tossed their backpacks in the bed of the truck and climbed into the cab. Just as Bella went to the put the key in the ignition, however, she paused and turned a look on Danielle.

"Dani?" she asked. "If by some slim chance we're not insane and all of this turns out to actually be _true…_ what are you gonna do about Jasper?" she questioned uncertain.

Danielle frowned, then took a good, long minute to consider her answer. If Jasper actually _was_ a vampire, what _would_ she do? She had always thought herself a sensible person, and a sensible person would understand that getting too close to a vampire would mean putting their life at risk. A sensible person would run away, would never talk to said vampire again and pretend as though they had never even met in the first place.

But Danielle cared about Jasper. She cared about him very much. He was kind and smart and he made her laugh. He was the reason she woke with a smile on her face most mornings. He made her feel things no one else ever had. He was _important_ to her. Even if he _was_ a vampire, the thought of not having him in her life, of not seeing him smile at her, of not being able to talk to him or even just be _close_ to him…her heart ached so painfully it almost made her feel nauseous.

It was then, in that moment, that she realized it. The thought of Jasper being a vampire _was_ scary, simply because it was crazy and unexpected and completely shattered the way she had always looked at the world. But what scared her even more was the thought _losing_ Jasper.

Danielle finally looked at Bella and shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. But I _do_ know that I don't want to lose him," she admitted.

Bella just nodded in understanding. "I know exactly how you feel," she said.

Then she finally shoved the key into the ignition and started the truck, before they headed off to school

They made it to Forks High with a little over five minutes to spare, which gave them just enough time to go to their lockers, get their things for class, then rush off to first period. There was an anxious feeling in her stomach that hadn't been there skin quite some time. She was eager to see Jasper. She had missed him more than she cared to admit – she _needed_ to talk to him and just be around him again. At the same time, she was _scared_ to see him. He could read her like an open book – what if he took one look at her and knew exactly what she had spent the last two days thinking about? Or what if their last moment together had scared him and he pushed her away? What if things were different now?

Danielle stepped into class, unconsciously holding her breath, then let it out in a giant _whoosh._ Jasper wasn't there. Frowning, she sat down at her desk, eyeing his empty seat. She then looked across the room, where Rosalie always sat. Her desk was empty, too. Danielle looked to the door, thinking that maybe they were just late and that they would arrive any moment. But then the bell rang and class began, and neither Jasper, nor Rosalie, ever showed.

Danielle held on to the feeble hope that Jasper might make an appearance in second period, but that hope was quickly squashed when class started and be still did not show up. It only made matters worse when she reached her History class and discovered that Emmett wasn't there either. Danielle hadn't really expected him to be there, seeing as both Jasper _and_ Rosalie had been absent, but still...that didn't make it any less disappointing.

Bella beat Danielle to Spanish, as usual, and was watching the door when Danielle walked in. She gave her an expectant look, clearly eager to hear any news of the Cullen's. "Well?" she hissed as Danielle took her seat.

"No Jasper," she reported unenthusiastically. "No Emmett or Rosalie, either," she said.

"Do you think that means Edward and Alice are gone, too?" Bella asked with a slight frown.

Danielle only shrugged at her friend. "Guess we'll find out."

Bella's question about the status of Edward's and Alice's attendance was quickly answered when lunch period began and they walked into the cafeteria, only to find that there wasn't a single Cullen around. Danielle stared at the empty table, let her eyes wander around the cafeteria just to make _double_ sure they weren't there, then finally shared a look with Bella. It seemed a little coincidental to Danielle that the entire Cullen family would be gone on the only sunny day she'd seen since moving to Forks, and she had a feeling Bella was thinking the same thing. They didn't voice those thoughts to each other, though, simply went to grab their lunches before joining their friends at the lunch table.

"Okay, ladies," Jessica said excitedly once they were seated at the table and digging into their lunches. "It's official. Port Angeles tonight for dress shopping. You in or what?" she asked, wagging her brows.

Danielle cringed. She had forgotten that Jessica had invited her to go dress shopping with her and Angela. "I actually already got a dress," Danielle said with a look of apology.

Angela and Jessica looked disappointed in an instant. "What? You went without us?" Jessica demanded. "When?"

"I went yesterday evening. My mom offered to take me shopping and she was just so excited. I couldn't say no," she explained with a shrug. "I'm sorry."

Angela smiled understandingly. "Don't worry about it, she said, waving off Danielle's apology. "That was nice of your mom to make you. I bet you guys had fun," she said.

Danielle smiled. "We did, yeah," she confirmed.

"Well," Jessica interjected, drawing the attention back to her. "Just because you already have a dress doesn't mean you can't come with us. Angie and I still need dresses, and we could use a few extra pairs of eyes around to help us find the right ones," she insisted. "So what do you say?" she asked, looking back and forth between Danielle and Bella.

Danielle shared a look with Bella, before they both shrugged. "Sure," Bella agreed with a smile. "We're in."

"Great!" Jessica exclaimed.

After lunch, the rest of the day passed fairly quickly. Nothing interesting happened in Physics, and Gym was uneventful, since the next activity they were moving on to was badminton and the coach had taken the class period to lecture them about the sport. Once they were back in their normal clothes and had collected their backpacks from their lockers, they headed out to the parking lot and made a beeline for the truck. Once they had left school and were headed back toward their neighborhood, Danielle let out a long sigh.

"Well, that day didn't exactly go as planned," she commented, still feeling more than a little displeased with the fact that Jasper hadn't shown up to school.

"Where do you think they were today?" Bella asked unsurely.

Danielle shrugged. "Maybe the guys are still camping," she offered as an excuse. "And as for Alice and Rosalie, well…" She thought about it for a moment, then, when she couldn't come up with a reason as to why _they_ were gone, she shrugged again. "Who knows," she finished.

Bella looked at her for a moment, then turned her eyes forward again. "Are we going to ignore the elephant in the room, then?" she asked, her brows furrowing together. "Are we just going to not talk about the fact that the Cullen's, who may or may not be vampires, just _happened_ to miss school on the one super sunny day Forks has seen in who knows _how_ long?" she asked.

Danielle sighed in response. She hadn't wanted to bring that up simply because it made all of this seem _way_ too real. "The thought had crossed my mind," she admitted. "But just because they didn't come to school today, that doesn't automatically mean that they're _vampires_ ," she said in a very rational tone.

"Well, _no_. It's not the nail in the _coffin_ ," Bella countered. Danielle gave her a sharp look at hearing the word ' _coffin'_ , which made Bella cringe a little. "Okay, poor choice of words there," she admitted. "But still," she continued. "It seems a bit _suspicious_ that they weren't there, don't you think?"

"Suspicious I can agree with," Danielle said, nodding her head.

They didn't talk much for the rest of the ride, mostly because they both retreated to their own thoughts. As much as she didn't want to, she found herself imaging Jasper enclosed in an ornate coffin, tucked deep into the recesses of a darkened house to shield him from the harmful sunlight outside. Had he not come to school because he would have burst into flames the moment he stepped outside? Or had he just decided to extend his camping trip with Emmett and Edward? It didn't explain the absence of Rosalie and Alice, but, then again, Jasper had said that their parents didn't care if he and his siblings missed school, so long as their grades didn't suffer. Maybe the two sisters had just decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather, rather than waste it by sitting behind a school desk all day.

When they reached Bella's house, Bella parked by the curb and then cut the engine. Just as they got out of the truck and went to collect their backpacks, the cell phone in Bella's back pocket began to ring. She retrieved it, then frowned as she looked to see who was calling. "It's Jessica," she announced, before accepting the call and pressing the phone to her ear. "Hey, Jess. What's up?"

Danielle lingered by the truck, fixing the straps of her backpack on her shoulders as she listened to Bella's side of the conversation. "Really? He did?" Bella asked, though Danielle thought she looked more pleased than surprised. "That's great, Jess." Pause. "No, don't worry about it. I totally understand." Another pause. "Yeah, I'll tell Dani," she said, glancing at Danielle. "Have fun tonight and I'll see you tomorrow. Okay, bye."

Bella clicked her phone shut and stuffed it back into her pocket. "Port Angeles has been rescheduled to tomorrow night," she revealed. "Jessica is going on a date with Mike," she then added with a small smirk.

Danielle's brows shot up in surprise. "Really? Mike finally realized you weren't into him and decided to give Jessica a shot, huh?"

Bella suddenly blushed, looking a bit guilty now. "Well…he might have cornered me after first period and asked _me_ to dinner first," she admitted. "But after I not so subtly hinted that Jessica liked him and would be very upset if we went to dinner together, he had a change of heart."

Danielle nodded in understanding. "Well _good_ ," she said firmly. "I hope things work out for them."

Bella nodded in agreement. "Me too." She paused for a moment, then jerked a thumb toward her house. "Wanna come in and hang out for a bit? It'll be a while before Charlie's home. I'll probably be bored out of my mind hanging around by myself," Bella said.

Danielle thought about it, then shook her head. She had a feeling that if she hung out with Bella, they'd probably end up exploring this vampire theory even further. And to be honest, after spending two and a half days thinking of nothing _but_ vampires, she was ready to put the subject on a shelf for now and try to give her mind a much needed break from it all.

"I've got a ton of homework to get done and a book I need to start reading for my English class," Danielle excused. "I should probably just go home."

Bella seemed a bit disappointed, but nodded in understanding anyway. "Yeah, okay. I'll see you tomorrow then."

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Yeah, see ya." She turned to walk away, but stopped after a few steps and turned back. "And Bella?" she called. Bella, who had started walking up her driveway, glanced back at Danielle curiously. "If you need anything, just come over," Danielle offered, not wanting her friend to get the wrong idea about anything. "My door is always open."

Bella smiled at her and nodded. "Thanks, Dani. I'll keep it in mind."

With that being said, they shared one last smile and went their separate ways.

* * *

The next day went exactly as the previous, only it felt exponentially worse. It was another bright and sunny day, which probably should have made her feel happy, but it didn't. The moment she saw the morning sunlight streaming through her window, a nagging feeling in her gut told her that Jasper and his siblings would probably be absent from school again. Her suspicions proved to be correct when her first period Calculus class began and, for the second day in a row, neither Jasper, nor Rosalie, turned up. Emmett was also a no show, and when she stepped into the cafeteria for lunch, the Cullen table was, once again, empty.

There was a part of her that felt her suspicions about the Cullen's begin grow stronger, simply because she could not ignore the fact that they had conveniently disappeared on yet another sunny day. Missing school on _one_ beautiful day? That was reasonable. But missing two in a row? Not so much. There was another, much _larger_ part of her, however, that felt sad and mopey and incredibly disappointed for the duration of the day. This marked the fifth day that she had gone without seeing Jasper, which officially made this the longest they had gone without seeing one another since the very first day she had met him. By the time lunch was over, she found herself beginning to care less and less about whether he was a vampire or not. All she could think about was how she missed him so much that it actually hurt, and how she wanted – no, _needed_ – him to come back.

After school, Danielle decided against going to Port Angeles, so when Jessica and Angela came to pick Bella up, she went outside to tell the girls that she wouldn't be joining them. She just wasn't feeling in the mood to go anywhere and knew she would only be a Debbie Downer, so she thought it better to stay home and not ruin her friends' shopping trip. Bella, Jessica, and Angela were disappointed that she didn't want to come and tried to convince her to come along anyway, but Danielle insisted that she had too much homework to do and that going to Port Angeles would only get in the way of that. When they finally realized that nothing they would say would change her mind, they finally gave up and left.

She spent about an hour working on homework, then watched television until it was time to start figuring out something for dinner. While she cooked, she turned on the radio and switched it to the classic rock station, hoping the music would make her feel better. In a way, it worked. She sang along with songs that she knew and bopped her head to the beat, but no matter what she did to distract herself, Jasper was never far from her thoughts and the longing in her heart never fully subsided.

Lynne came home from work just after seven, and they soon sat down to eat dinner. They made small talk while they ate, chatting about school and work. After dinner they cleaned up the kitchen together, smiling and laughing as they turned on the radio again and both sang along with songs they liked, before retreating to the living room to watch some evening shows together. Around seven forty-five, as they were in the middle of watching a funny sitcom, the doorbell rang unexpectedly. Danielle and Lynne looked at the door for a moment, then turned curious looks on each other.

"Who could that be?" Lynne asked, before she started to get up to see who it was.

"Stay," Danielle urged her mother as she got up from the couch. "I'll go see who it is."

As Lynne sat back down, Danielle went to the front door. She peered through the peephole first, then, when she saw who was waiting on the other side, she quickly opened the door. Bella was looking back at her, her expression one of urgency as she practically bounced on her feet. "Bella?" Danielle said, not sure why her friend was coming to see her. "What's up?"

"We need to talk," Bella said. " _Now_."

Danielle could sense that whatever this was, it was obviously very important. She nodded, then glanced back toward the living room. "Mom? I'm gonna step outside real quick! Bella needs my help with something!" she called.

"Okay!" Lynne called back.

Danielle stepped out onto the porch and shut the door behind her, before crossing her arms over her chest. Bella was still fidgeting around, looking like she might very well explode if she didn't say what was on her mind soon. "What's going on?" Danielle asked, brows furrowed uncertainly.

Bella didn't hesitate. She just came right out with it. "It's true, Dani!" she blurted out in a rush, her eyes wide. "Everything Jacob told me about the Cullen's, everything we've been talking about - it's _all_ true!"

Danielle suddenly felt as though somebody had thrown a bucket of ice water on her. She stood there frozen, her mouth agape and her eyes wide with shock, her brain struggling to process what Bella had just said. After opening and closing her mouth a few times, she finally shook her head. "What?" she asked when her vocal chords worked again. "How do you know?"

"It's kind of a long story, but Edward was in Port Angeles tonight," Bella told her. "He saved me from some jerks that were giving me a hard time and then we went to dinner, and after we got to talking it all just kind of… _came out_. They're _vampires_ , Danielle," Bella stressed, her expression telling Danielle just how amazed and dumbfounded she was that their wild theory had actually proven to be correct.

There it was. The truth. The answer to all their questions. Jacob Black's stories _hadn't_ been just stories after all. The Cullen's were vampires.

Danielle suddenly felt weak in the knees, and as her stomach flipped violently, she couldn't decide if she was going to be sick or not. "I think…I need to sit down," she croaked out.

She wobbled over to the porch steps and plopped down heavily on the top step, before immediately putting her head between her knees to try to ward off the feeling in her stomach. She heard and felt Bella sit down next to her, but didn't look up just yet. She took a few steadying breaths first, then finally looked over at Bella, who was waiting as patiently as she could for Danielle to recover from her shock.

"What did he tell you?" Danielle finally asked. "Are they like the vampires in movies?"

"Not really," Bella said with a shake of her head. "They don't ever feed on humans, only animals," she revealed, which _did_ make Danielle relax the tiniest bit. "They don't get burned by sunlight or anything, but they try to avoid it for some reason, which is why they haven't been at school. And they definitely don't sleep in coffins," Bella listed off. "In fact, according to Edward, they don't sleep _at_ _all._ "

Danielle shook her head in disbelief. She felt like she'd just been thrown into an episode of The Twilight Zone. "So this weekend, when Jasper and his brothers went camping…" she prompted.

"They were hunting," Bella confirmed.

"Hunting _animals?"_ Danielle asked for verification, despite the fact that Bella had already said they didn't hunt humans. She just needed to hear her say it again.

"Yes," she said with a nod. "They're ' _vegetarians'_ ," she said, making air quotes with her fingers.

Danielle released another heavy breath and shook her head. "I can't believe this," she said, feeling completely and totally discombobulated by this turn of events. "I mean. I _can_ , because Edward told you it's true," she added. "But I just… _can't believe it_ ," she reiterated.

"It's a lot to take in," Bella agreed. "Kinda makes you wonder what _else_ is out there, huh?" she then asked. "If _vampires_ are real, then what else is?"

Danielle held up a hand to put a stop to Bella's train of thought. "I'm having a hard enough time to fully wrapping my head around the vampire thing as it is," she said. "Let's leave everything else out of the equation for now, okay? One supernatural thing at a time."

Bella smiled sheepishly. "Sorry," she apologized. She then gave Danielle a very long, scrutinizing look. "What do you think of all this? Are you…scared?"

Danielle had to think about that one before answering. How _did_ she feel about all if this? Was she surprised? Absolutely. Was she feeling more than a little disoriented? Yep. Was she shocked as all _hell_ that this had all actually turned out to be _true_? You bet your bottom she was. But was she _scared_? Danielle took a moment to assess herself for any signs of fear, but to her complete and utter astonishment, it wasn't there. Jasper was a vampire, someone who was probably a million times stronger and more powerful than herself, someone who could easily hurt her – or _worse_ – if he really wanted to…but she wasn't afraid of him. Because she _knew_ Jasper, and she knew in her gut that he _didn't_ want to hurt her. He cared about her, he had told her so himself, and she cared about him in return. She trusted him, and this new revelation about him hadn't changed _any_ of that.

"No," Danielle finally answered, shaking her head. "I probably _should_ be afraid, but I'm _not_ ," she admitted. She then looked at Bella uncertainly. "That makes me an idiot, right?"

Bella gave her a small smile. "If it does, then we're _both_ idiots," she said, which immediately told Danielle that Bella wasn't afraid either.

Danielle offered a tiny smile, then sighed heavily and ran a hand through her red curls, which made them turn a bit frizzy and stick out in weird angles. "So now what?"

"I don't know," Bella said. "I guess we just take it one day at a time."

Danielle nodded slowly. "So they'll be at school tomorrow?" Bella nodded in confirmation, which made Danielle's stomach do another somersault. "How the hell am I supposed to talk to Jasper about this?" she wondered aloud. "I can't exactly just walk up to him and say, ' _Hey, Jasper! How's it going? Did you have fun hunting, you know, seeing as you're a freaking_ _ **vampire**_ _?_ '"

Bella gave her a look. "Well, I don't know if it helps or not, but Edward asked if I was going to tell you and I said yes. So I'm pretty sure Jasper already knows that the secret is out."

Danielle huffed. "That _doesn't_ help actually. Whether he knows or not, I have a feeling it's still gonna be awkward as hell," she said.

"Yeah, maybe. But you guys are good at talking stuff out," Bella pointed out. "I'm sure it'll all be okay," she then added optimistically.

The door behind them suddenly opened, which brought their conversation to a quick halt and had both if them glancing over their shoulders. Lynne slowly poked her head out, looking mildly concerned. "Hi, Bella," she greeted.

"Hello, Ms. Clark." Bella said back politely.

Lynne looked back and forth between them, her brows raising a tick. "Is everything alright?"

Danielle shared a quick look with Bella. "Yeah, everything's fine," Danielle told her with a nod. "Bella and I were just talking about…" She trailed off and looked at Bella for help, unable to come up with a lie on the spot due to her scattered thoughts.

"Talking about boys," Bella finished for her, which wasn't _really_ a lie. "I just needed some advice. Nothing to be worried about."

Lynne made a face of understanding. "Ah, I see." She then opened the door wider. "Would you like to come in? You can talk in the kitchen," Lynne invited. "I swear I won't eavesdrop," she promised with a smile.

"Actually, I should be getting back home," Bella said. "I've still got some homework to finish up before school tomorrow. Thank you for the invitation, though," she added with a smile.

"Anytime," Lynne said understandingly.

Bella stood from the porch step she had been sitting on, then stepped out onto the cement walkway that snaked through the middle of the yard. Danielle stood too, and was glad her legs felt a bit more stable now. "Thanks for listening," Bella said, looking at her. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Danielle nodded. She didn't know if she was ready for Bella to go just yet because she felt like they still had a _lot_ to talk about, but in the end, she decided maybe it _was_ better to go their separate ways. This whole vampire business was a lot to take in, and she felt like she could use a bit of time to herself to process everything. "See you tomorrow."

After Bella left, Danielle followed her mother back into the house. She did not rejoin Lynne in the living room, however. Instead, she said that she was feeling a bit tired and that she was going to go upstairs and lay down. Lynne seemed the tiniest bit suspicious, but still nodded and didn't try to stop her.

Danielle flopped onto her bed the moment she was in the privacy of her own bedroom, her eyes sliding closed as she took a few deep breaths. She felt like she was all over place, being pulled into a million different directions. It was hard to reign in her jumbled thoughts and actually focus, but when she finally did, all she could think about was Jasper.

Jasper wasn't human. He was a vampire. Jasper Hale was a _vampire._

No matter how many times she said it in her head, it didn't make the truth any less astonishing. She found it incredible how quickly things could change – three nights ago she had been _certain_ that Jacob Black was just too superstitious for his own good and that there was no _possible way_ vampires could exist. Now here she was, faced with the cold, hard truth that vampires _were_ real, and that the world as she knew it had ceased to exist. She had been living in the presence of vampires for over a month now. She had happily spent time in their company, had befriended them. And she, Danielle Clark, had even gone and fallen head over heels for one of them.

Danielle couldn't help but wonder what Jasper was doing in this exact moment. Had Edward told him that she knew their secret? And if he had, how was Jasper taking it? Would he be angry that she knew? Would he be scared? Or, by some absolute miracle, would he be _glad_ that she knew? Would he be glad that the secret was out and that they could finally be completely and totally honest with one another?

Danielle pondered these questions over and over again, but in the end, the fact of the matter was that she had no idea how Jasper might handle this. She had a feeling, however, that she'd find out the answer pretty quickly when she saw him at school the next day. All she could do now was hope that Bella was right, and that somehow, some way, all of this would turn out okay in the end.

* * *

 **Oh geez! Big chapter coming up!**

 **Let me know what you guys think!**


	11. Chapter Ten

**Thank you for all the kind words everyone! You guys are amazing! Also, to the reader who asked if I would write from Jasper's POV as well - as of right now, I haven't decided if I want to or not. I'm still debating. But it _is_ possible. We'll just have to wait and see!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twlight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Ten_

Sleep was a literal impossibility that night. Between how shocked she still felt over what Bella had revealed to her and how unbelievably nervous she was to see Jasper again, Danielle lay awake in her bed until nearly four in the morning, her mind racing with all the possible scenarios that might take place when she went to school the next day. Eventually her brain seemed to overwork itself and became exhausted from the hurricane of thoughts and emotions that had been crashing through her since she had parted ways with Bella. She finally fell asleep, but only managed to catch about three hours of rest before her alarm was waking her up again.

She got ready for school quickly, moving about her room distractedly as she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and pulled on her clothes, only half paying attention to what she was doing. Despite not sleeping much, she was surprised to discover that she wasn't even the slightest bit tired. The anxiousness in her belly was putting her on edge, making her feel too wired to feel any sort of lingering exhaustion. When she was finished getting ready, Danielle headed downstairs and walked into the kitchen, immediately going to the pantry to find something to eat. But as she stood there contemplating her breakfast options, she realized very quickly that she wasn't hungry. There were too many butterflies twittering nervously around in her belly – the thought of adding food to the mix made her fear that it might actually make her feel sick.

Danielle closed the pantry without grabbing anything to eat, then spent the next ten minutes pacing the entire length of the first floor of her house, gnawing fretfully on her nails as she waited until it was time to go and meet Bella. When all of her nails had been successfully mutilated and she was no longer able to stand it, she finally heaved, grabbed her jacket and her backpack, and headed outside.

It was overcast and foggy outside, which instantly told her that Jasper and his siblings would definitely be at school today. Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, she walked across the road toward Bella's house, heading for the truck just as she always did. She froze, however, when she realized that there was another car parked in the driveway of the Swan house. It was a familiar silver Volvo, one that she had seen at school several times. It was one of the cars that Jasper and his siblings often took to and from school. And standing right next to the Volvo, staring right back at her, was Edward Cullen.

Her eyes widened with surprise, and the very first thought that flew through her mind was that he absolutely, one hundred percent, was a vampire. Edward seemed a little bit stiff as he eyed her, but he gave her a small, polite smile anyway. "Good morning, Danielle," he greeted, inclining his head toward her.

"Erm…hey, Edward," Danielle said back awkwardly. "I wasn't expecting to see _you_ here."

"Yes, well, I thought I would come and see if Bella would allow me to drive her to school," he said with a small shrug. Danielle nodded, then glanced around, but there was no sign of Bella. She hadn't come outside yet. Danielle looked back to Edward, who was giving her a scrutinizing look. "As I understand it," he finally said, his tone careful and guarded, "the Cullen family secret isn't such a secret anymore, correct?"

Danielle pressed her lips together, then shook her head. "No, it isn't," she confirmed. "Bella told me about everything last night."

"And?" Edward asked, clearly curious to know what she thought about it all.

"I'm not gonna lie," Danielle said with a sigh and shrug. "This whole thing is insane and has _completely_ turned everything I thought I knew upside down. I'm not even one hundred percent sure I've fully grasped onto what exactly all of this means," she admitted, shaking her head.

Edward nodded his understanding. "I have no doubt that it's quite a lot for you to take in. _Both_ of you," he added, glancing meaningfully toward Bella's house. He stared in that direction for another moment, then turned back to Danielle. "As I'm sure you already know, something like this becoming public knowledge would be… _detrimental_ to the life we've built here in Forks," he continued slowly. "I speak for the entire Cullen family when I say that if you could remain discreet about all of this, it would be very greatly appreciated," he concluded with a small, almost pleading smile.

Danielle blinked at him in shock. It had _never_ , for even one second, crossed her mind to tell anyone that the Cullen's were vampires. One, nobody would believe her even if she did, and two, she would _never_ , under _any_ circumstances, do _anything_ that might put Jasper, or his family, at risk.

"Edward, I would _never_ say anything to _anyone_ about this," she told him firmly. "Your secret is safe with me. I swear it."

Edward let out a small sigh of relief and some of the tension that had been in his shoulders eased a little. "Thank you, Danielle," he said sincerely.

"Of course," she said with a nod.

There was a brief moment of silence, where Edward continued to look at her and where Danielle suddenly could think about nothing but Jasper. She hesitated, wondering if she should ask the questions that had just popped into her mind, then finally decided that she _had_ to know. She needed to know exactly what she was in store for when she saw Jasper again.

"How's Jasper?" she asked uncertainly. "How is he handling all of this? Is he alright with me …you know… _knowing_?"

Edward didn't answer at first. Instead, he hesitated before giving her a pinched smile. "I think, perhaps, that's something you and Jasper should discuss," he answered evasively.

A sinking feeling filled her stomach in response to those words. He might not have said it aloud, but there was something about the look on Edwards face and the tone of his voice that immediately told her that Jasper had not reacted well to her finding out that he was a vampire. But what exactly had been his reaction? Was he scared that she knew? Or was he angry?

Before she had a chance to ask Edward to elaborate further, the door to Bella's house opened and Bella stepped outside. At first she seemed obvious to the fact that both Danielle and Edward were standing in the driveway, but when she finally saw them, she froze and her eyes went wide.

"Edward," she breathed, her eyes locked on him. "You're here," she then stated, a slightly dazed smile appearing on her lips.

"I am," Edward confirmed, a genuine smile appearing on his handsome face. "I was thinking that perhaps you and I could drive to school together," he said, and he actually sounded a bit nervous all of a sudden. "Assuming, of course, that Danielle doesn't mind," he added, glancing toward Danielle questioningly.

Bella blinked, as if finally remembering Danielle was still there. Danielle shook her head to bring herself out of her own thoughts and back to the present. "I don't mind," she told him with an encouraging nod.

"Are you sure?" Bella asked, looking a bit guilty for ditching her to ride with Edward. "You can ride with us too, if you want," she then invited.

It was a kind offer, but Danielle could clearly tell just by the looks on their faces that neither Bella, nor Edward, wanted her to join them. Danielle immediately shook her head in refusal. "Don't be silly. You guys go together and have some time to yourselves," she encouraged. "I'll be fine."

Edward nodded to her, looking grateful, while Bella gnawed her bottom lip with indecision. "Here," she finally said, stepping over so that she was in front of Danielle. She fiddled with her keyring for a moment as she freed the key to her truck. "You can drive my truck," she said, pressing the key into Danielle's hand.

Danielle took the key, but still raised a skeptical brow. "You sure?"

Bella nodded. "You need to get to school somehow, right?" she asked pointedly. "Besides," she added, "if you _don't_ take my truck and Charlie comes home for some reason and sees that it's still here, he'll start asking questions that I don't want to answer yet," she pointed out. "But if you _do_ take my truck – "

"Then he won't have any idea you actually went to school with Edward," Danielle finished for her knowingly. Bella smiled guiltily, but nodded. "Okay. I'll take it," she said with a nod. "Thanks."

"No problem." Bella turned back to Edward after that, who had been waiting patiently while they talked. "I'm ready when you are."

Edward nodded, then walked around to the passenger seat to open the door for Bella. Bella looked at Danielle for a moment, who smiled and gave her a thumbs up, before she went walking over to the Volvo. After her friend had eased into the passenger seat, Edward shut the door and went around to his own side.

"We'll see you later," he said, nodding to Danielle.

Danielle nodded, then stepped out of the way as Edward started the car and reversed out of the driveway. She watched as they drove off, then went to Bella's truck and climbed into the cab, settling into the driver's seat. She didn't start up the truck right away, though. With a sigh, she let her forehead drop onto the steering wheel, that ominous feeling returning as her conversation with Edward replayed on her mind.

She had been afraid that today wouldn't be easy, afraid that Jasper would have had a bad reaction to her discovering his closely guarded secret. And right now, it was looking as though her fears were about to come true. She didn't know what was going to happen between her and Jasper when she got to school, but something in her gut was telling her that it was not going to be good.

Danielle lifted her forehead from the steering wheel and rubbed her eyes. Then, with another sigh, she finally jammed the key into the ignition and started the truck.

* * *

Danielle drove to school slowly, which meant the drive took a little longer than it normally did. Part of her reason for her slow, careful commute was because she didn't want to get in a wreck or get pulled over, both of which would mean her getting caught driving a vehicle that didn't belong to her and would likely end with both her and Bella getting in trouble with their parents. The other part, however, was because her nervousness had increased tenfold, and because she was trying to give herself a bit more time to pull herself together before she saw Jasper.

She finally pulled into the school parking lot and claimed one of the last spaces available. Danielle cut the engine, shoved the truck key into her pocket, then grabbed her backpack and started up toward the school. She glanced around, noticing that there weren't many students hanging out in the parking lot, since most seemed to have already gone inside to prepare for the first class of the day. Her eyes quickly spotted Edward's Volvo, as well as a shiny, red convertible that she had seen the Cullen's arrive in before, but there was no sign of Jasper anywhere, nor did she see any of the other Cullen's or Edward and Bella. Danielle continued up to the school, keeping to herself and ignoring her classmates, and went to her locker. Once she had her books for her first classes of the day, she headed for Calculus.

As she approached her class, her heart was pounding so hard against her rib she was fairly certain it was going to explode right out of her chest. She stalled outside the classroom, breathing deeply and raising a shaky hand to smooth her hair down. Finally, she could stall no longer. The time had come to face Jasper.

Danielle walked into the classroom, and as if magnetized, her gaze immediately landed on Jasper. After five long, torturous days, there he was, looking as breathtaking and as gorgeous as he always did. Just the sight of him made her nerves melt away and made her feel like a chorus might kick in at any moment. By god, she had missed the absolute _hell_ out of him, and as she took in the sight of him with greedy eyes, she forgot to feel worried or anxious or scared. He was back, and she was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to run over to him and hug him as tightly as she possibly could.

But then reality came back to her, and she realized that there was something very wrong about this picture. For one, Jasper wasn't sitting in his usual seat next to her. He was sitting on the far side of the room with Rosalie, and there wasn't an open seat near him. The second thing she noticed was that Jasper looked more closed off and more tense than she had ever seen him look before. He knew she was there, she _knew_ that he knew, but he wouldn't look at her. He sat stiffly in his seat, his spine ramrod straight, eyes locked firmly on the window. Danielle stood at the front of the class for longer than she should have, hoping and praying that he would look at her, but he wouldn't do it. Jasper refused to acknowledge her presence.

Two emotions it her like a Mack truck – hurt and confusion. She had already been expecting Jasper to be upset. She had been expecting that when they talked, it would probably be difficult and uncomfortable. What she _hadn't_ been expecting was _this_. Jasper had not ignored her like this since…well, _ever_. Not even after that first encounter, when he had grabbed her outside their English class and scared her half to death. He had kept his distance, but he hadn't gone out of his way to completely ignore her existence. To have him do so now after how close they had gotten, after how _good_ things had been between them, made her feel like someone had just stabbed her in the heart and twisted the knife.

Danielle finally retreated to her seat, where she sat quietly for the rest of class, unable to register anything the teacher said when the lesson began. She told herself not to get carried away with any pessimistic thoughts yet, tried to convince herself that maybe Jasper was just on his guard right now. Maybe he would talk to her after class, she internally mused. Maybe he was just ignoring her right now to discourage her from trying to discuss anything in such an open setting.

But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that things weren't as bad as they seemed, something in her gut told her that it wasn't true. This wasn't normal behavior for Jasper, not toward _her_ , anyway. And if he was acting like this now, it could only mean something bad.

Her hope that he was waiting until class was over to talk to her flew out the window in a heartbeat when the bell rang and Jasper was the first one out of the door. Danielle packed her things and walked to English alone for the first time in over a month. When she strode into class, Jasper had, once again, chosen a seat as far away from her as possible, and, once again, he refused to even look in her direction. The pain she had felt returned with a vengeance, making a lump form in her throat. She hardly paid attention in class, unable to think of anything but Jasper. She wanted so desperately to tell him that she didn't care if he was a vampire, that she wasn't afraid of him, that none of this had changed the way she felt about him. But he wasn't giving her the chance, and with each second that ticked by, Danielle could feel him slipping further and further away.

When the bell rang, Jasper immediately sprung up from his seat. But this time, she was determined to try to talk to him. Knowing his journey to the door would take him right past her desk, Danielle jumped out of her seat too and tried to intercept him.

"Jasper – " she said, doing her best to plant herself in his path.

He breezed past her without so much as a glance and disappeared through the doorway, leaving her to stare after him helplessly. Her eyes suddenly prickled and her vision began to blur. Blinking rapidly to try to keep from crying, she cleared her throat and went back to her desk to grab her things.

The one thing she hadn't wanted to happen when she had learned the truth about Jasper and his family was to lose Jasper. And right now, with the way he was acting, she couldn't but feel that that was _exactly_ what was happening. She was _losing_ him.

Danielle trudged her way to History, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other and trying not to think about how absolutely crushed and rejected she felt because of Jasper's alienation. As she arrived at her next class, the first person she spotted was Emmett, who was sitting in his usual seat. He sat straighter when she walked in, his fingers fiddling around with his pencil with what seemed like nervousness. Danielle walked to her seat, aware of the fact that his eyes were trained on her the entire way. Danielle plopped into her seat heavily, then looked over at Emmett, who, for once, had a very serious expression on his face. He was on his guard, she could tell.

A beat of silence passed between them, where Emmett eyed her warily. It was almost as if he was waiting for the bottom to drop out, as if he thought she would tell him any second now that he was an abomination and that she wanted nothing to do with him. Danielle sighed, then gave him a pointed look.

"Is there a reason you're looking at me like you think I'm gonna suddenly scream my head off and run away?" Danielle asked.

Emmett pursed his lips. "Did…did Bella tell you?" he asked. His tone was cautious, maybe even a bit timid. He sounded like he was afraid to know the answer.

"Yes, she did," Danielle confirmed. "And I'm not afraid, Em," she added firmly, reaching over to place her hand on his strong, solid, ice cold arm. "This doesn't change _anything_."

Emmett blinked at her, his eyes filling with hope. "It doesn't?"

"No," Danielle reaffirmed.

"So…we're still friends then?" Emmett asked, raising his brows optimistically.

Danielle couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Of _course_ we're still friends, you big idiot," she said with fondness. She leaned toward him and lowered her voice. "I don't care what you are. You're one of my best friends, and nothing is going to change that," she insisted, squeezing his arm for good measure. It felt like squeezing the arm of a marble statue.

Emmett immediately grinned. It was more than obvious that he was happy to hear that this revelation about him and his family hadn't affected their friendship. He placed a hand on top of hers, making her hand feel as though it had just been dunked into a container of ice. "Damn, am I glad to hear that," he said with relief.

After Emmett patted her hand, she finally released his arm. She could not deny that it made her happy to know that at least things with _Emmett_ were still normal, but it wasn't enough to make her forget the fact that things with Jasper seemed to have taken a turn for the worst. As she once again thought about him and the blatant way he had ignored her, she closed her eyes and let out a long breath, running a hand through her curls as that heavy feeling. Emmett noticed the shift in her demeanor and frowned at once.

"What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

"It's Jasper," she said, feeling that lump form in her throat again. "He…" Danielle trailed off and shook her head, trying to ignore the tears that once again prickled behind her eyes.

Emmett leaned forward, a serious look on his face. "What did he do?"

"Nothing," she answered honestly. "He hasn't done anything. He didn't sit next to me in class. He didn't talk to me. He didn't even _look_ at me," she revealed. A traitorous tear finally escaped and went sliding down her cheek. She hastily reached up to wipe it away. "It's like he was trying to pretend I wasn't even _there_ , Em."

Emmett looked unhappy in an instant. He scowled and shook his head, letting out a sound of irritation. "That moron," he growled. "I was afraid he would do something like this."

She sucked in a breath to calm herself down, then turned to him with a confused expression. "Why is he being like this?" Danielle asked him, hoping for some insight. "Is he really _that_ mad that I know?"

Emmett shook his head. "He isn't mad, Dani. He's _scared_ ," he corrected.

"Scared of _what_?" Danielle swiftly countered.

Emmett thought about it, then shrugged. "To be honest, I'm not really sure what scares him more – that all of this would freak you out and make you want to push him away, or that you _wouldn't_ be freaked out and you'd still want to be with him."

Now Danielle was even more confused. "Me wanting to be with him is a _bad_ thing?" she asked uncertainly, feeling like there was something she was missing.

Emmett hesitated before speaking again. "Dani, there's something you have to understand about Jasper," he continued, keeping his voice low so that their conversation wouldn't be overhead. "Out of all of us, Jasper is the one who has the hardest time with our… _lifestyle_. He has never trusted himself around _anyone_ ," be revealed. "But then you came into the picture, and that's completely changed things for him. He cares about you a _lot_. But…" Emmett sighed. "He's terrified that something will go wrong. He doesn't want to _hurt_ you, Dani."

Danielle took a second to process that, then shook her head. "And he doesn't realize that he's hurting me _right_ _now_ by ignoring me and completely shutting me out?"

Emmett sighed. "I don't like what he's doing any more than _you_ do," he admitted. "But when Edward told him that Bella knew the truth and that she was going to tell _you_ , he didn't handle it very well. He's freaked out. He doesn't know what to do. And sometimes when he gets like this, he doesn't make the best decisions," he explained with a shrug.

Danielle just shook her head in response, thinking that wasn't much of an excuse. "Well, _newsflash_ – he's not the only one who got freaked out by this whole thing," she said with a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest. She could feel some of the hurt within beginning to show the first signs of turning into anger. "It hasn't exactly been sunshine and rainbows for me, either, but you don't see _me_ ignoring _him_ , do you?"

Emmett sighed, then raised his brows. "Do you want me to talk some sense into him?" he offered. "Or, if you'd like, I'd be more than happy to _beat_ some sense into him," he added with a look that said he was actually being serious.

Danielle thought about it for a second, then shook her head again. "No," she declined with a sigh. "I appreciate the offer, but…I think we need to work this out on our own," she said. "Assuming, of course, I can get the jerk to talk to me," she added with a frown of frustration.

Emmett smiled a bit and nodded encouragingly. "If there's anyone who can get through to him, it's you," he said optimistically. "Just give him a bit more time to get his head right."

Danielle couldn't help but snort and shake her head. She was the one who had just discovered that the guy she was absolutely crazy about was a vampire, and _he_ , the _vampire_ , was the one who needed to get _his_ head right? Seemed a little ironic, didn't it?

She and Emmett didn't talk for the rest of class, though he did leave her with his standard fist bump and a few encouraging words before they parted ways. When she went to Spanish, she found Bella sitting there looking happier than she had looked in the entire time that they had known one another. Bella asked her about Jasper, of course, but Danielle, not wanting to ruin the good mood that her friend was in, decided against telling her the truth. She said things were fine, and left it at that.

Edward was waiting for Bella after Spanish, so Danielle said goodbye to them and headed off to the cafeteria by herself. The moment she walked into the lunch room and caught sight of Jasper's blonde hair at the Cullen table, that ache in her heart intensified. She didn't try to go and talk to him, though, and instead went to go and sit with the lunch group. She thought it wise to follow Emmett's advice and give Jasper a bit of space. Besides, it had been a bad enough day as it was _without_ adding in the public humiliation that would surely come if Jasper jilted her in front of all their classmates.

Danielle did not see Jasper again after that, which she was almost grateful for considering the way he was behaving. The last two classes of the day absolutely dragged, but she somehow managed to make it through. When the final bell rang, she said goodbye to Bella and then high tailed it out of the locker rooms, not wanting to linger and give Bella the chance to ask any questions. She was not surprised to see Edward waiting for Bella again, but she stopped anyway and shared a long look with him. There seemed to be a hint of sympathy in his eyes, which led her to believe that he knew exactly what was going on between her and Jasper.

Danielle finally just shook her head, before continuing on to her locker without saying anything to him. Once she had her things, she then hurried to Bella's truck as quickly as she could and left. It had been a horrible day, and now that it was over, she just wanted to put it behind her and forget it had ever happened.

* * *

The next morning, Bella was picked up, yet again, by Edward, which meant that Danielle drove Bella's truck to school for the second day in a row. She arrived fairly early, then leaned against the truck with her hands shoved into the pockets of her jacket to wait for the Cullen's to arrive, her features set with determination.

She had thought about Jasper all night long, and though she could admit that she had shed a tear or two, she had eventually pulled herself together and come to a decision. She was simply _not_ going to let this be the end. She didn't care if he was scared, she didn't care if he was worried about her knowing that he was a vampire. They had worked too hard and come too far to let him just throw their relationship away like it was yesterday's garbage. She was going to _fight_ for Jasper. Today, she had decided, was not going to be like yesterday. Today, she and Jasper were going to talk, even if she had to tie his blood-sucking self to a tree and _make_ him listen to her.

She didn't have to wait long for the Cullen's to arrive. It couldn't have been more than five minutes when a shiny, red convertible pulled into the school parking lot. Danielle watched as Rosalie pulled the fancy car into a parking space about twenty feet away, then grabbed her backpack and, with a jut of her chin, went marching in that direction. Her eyes were locked on Jasper, who still looked tense and unhappy as he stepped out of the car. He went to the trunk of the car to retrieve his school bag, then fixed the strap of the bag onto his shoulder. Suddenly, as if he knew she was coming, he looked directly at her. The moment their gazes locked, his shoulders tensed even more.

Danielle's heart stuttered, but she kept moving forward. Once she was standing right in front of him, she stared into his amber eyes with purpose. "We need to talk," she said firmly.

She was aware that Emmett, Alice, and Rosalie were all loitering nearby and staring at the two of them, but Danielle paid them no attention. She kept her eyes on Jasper, who gave her an indecipherable look in return. "Not now, Danielle," he finally said, before brushing past her to begin making the journey up to school.

The fact that he seemed determined to keep giving her the cold shoulder instantly grated her nerves. Frowning unhappily, she quickly followed him – there was no way she was going to let him get away that easy. "You're not _seriously_ walking away from me right now, are you?" she practically growled. When he didn't say anything and just continued walking, she quickened her pace so that she could dart in front of him and plant herself in his path, forcing him to stop now. "Jasper, _please_ ," she said, her eyes pleading now as she tried to make him listen. "Stop acting like this and just _talk to me_."

He wasn't going to budge, though. "No, Danielle," he said. He then sighed, before shaking his head firmly. "There's nothing to discuss right now. In fact, I think…I think it would be better if we weren't around each other for a while."

Danielle gaped at him. "Are you _serious_?" she asked, her tone incredulous.

"Yes," Jasper stated. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to get to class."

Danielle suddenly saw red. All of the heartache that she had been feeling for the past twenty four hours suddenly turned into a burning flame of anger and frustration, and before she could even think about what she was doing, she suddenly just lashed out at him. Danielle began hitting Jasper with her backpack, whacking him once, twice, three times. When that didn't feel satisfying enough, she planted her hands on his rock solid chest and shoved him with all her might. He didn't budge even an inch, however, and all she succeeded in doing was pushing _herself_ off balance. She tried kicking him in the shin next, which made pain shoot through her foot, but she was so driven by fury that she hardly noticed. Jasper did not bother trying to defend himself, nor did he make any moves at all – he stared at her in shock, as if he couldn't believe she was actually trying to hurt him.

"You are such an _asshole_!" Danielle yelled, trying to push him for a second time and, once again, failing. "How can you just shut me out like this?" she demanded to know. "How can you just toss me aside like I'm _nothing_? Did I really mean _that little_ to you this entire time? Were you just _lying_ to me when you said you cared? _Huh_?!"

Two very strong hands wrapped around her biceps and effortlessly pulled her back away from Jasper, who was still staring at her in stunned silence. It was Emmett who had intervened. "Alright, that's enough," he said loudly. He kept hold of her with one hand, then scooped up her backpack, which had fallen to the ground, with his other hand. "Let's go."

Emmett began to lead her away, and because he was a vampire and stronger than she could ever hope to be, she had no choice but to go with him. Danielle stopped struggling, but the anger was still very alive within. She shot dirty looks at the small crowd that had gathered to watch the drama unfold, then shot one last glare at Jasper over her shoulder. He hadn't moved yet, but he was staring after her and Emmett, his brows stitching together and his lips turning down into a frown.

"You know, when you turned down my offer to beat him up, you could've just told me that _you_ wanted to beat him up yourself. I would've totally understood," Emmett said once they were walking into school. Danielle gave him a sour look, telling him with her eyes that she wasn't in the mood for his comments. Emmett, of course, ignored her silent warning. "By the way…you're kinda _scary_ when you're mad," he added with a smirk. "I guess it's true – redheads _do_ have nasty tempers."

"He deserved it!" Danielle insisted, feeling so angry she was thought she might actually breathe fire. "He was being a jerk! He's lucky he's not human, or I would've done a lot worse!" she then growled threateningly.

Emmett snorted and shook his head, looking mildly amused. "Just remind me never to get on your bad side," he said.

Emmett walked with her to her locker, and while she yanked opened her locker to get her books, he crossed his huge arms over his broad chest and stood right next to her, like he was a prison guard keeping a close eye on a dangerous inmate. Once Danielle finally had her books, he then escorted her to Calculus. He gave her a stern look as they stopped outside the classroom.

"Can I leave you two unattended in here?" Emmett asked, raising his brows. "Are you going to behave yourself? Because I don't wanna have to run all the way back here to break you guys up."

Danielle rolled her eyes, then nodded. "Yes, _father_. I'll _behave,_ " she said with heavy sarcasm.

Emmett nodded with satisfaction. "Alright, I'll see you in history, then."

Once Emmett had walked away, Danielle went into the class and stomped to her seat. She plopped down into her chair ungracefully and slammed her books down on the desk, which made the students who sat directly around her jump with surprise and shoot odd looks in her direction. Danielle ignored them and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes now trained on the door, just waiting for the moment that Jasper would arrive.

Rosalie walked in first. She immediately went to her desk on the far side of the room, but not without quirking a brow at Danielle along the way. Danielle just glared at her, silently daring her to say something about her behavior out in the parking lot. As Rosalie sat down, Danielle shifted her attention back to the door, knowing Jasper couldn't be far behind. Sure enough, he walked in a few seconds later, his brows still furrowed together and his mouth pulled into a deep frown. He went to the seat next to Rosalie, but paused before sitting down so he could give her a long look. Then, he took his seat.

Danielle narrowed her eyes at him from across the room. If she wasn't mistaken, Jasper actually looked like he was a little bit _mad,_ which instantly made her own anger spike again. What right did _he_ have to be mad? He was the one who had ignored her for an entire day, who had brushed her off and given the cold shoulder, who had made her feel like complete and total _crap._ If _anyone_ was supposed to be mad right now, it was _her_ , not him.

When first period was over, she purposefully stalled and packed her things slowly. She wanted to give Jasper a good head start to second period, that way there wouldn't be any risk of being anywhere near him in the hallway – she simply couldn't promise she wouldn't freak out on him again if he said the wrong thing to her. Danielle noticed that while he still left before her, he didn't run out nearly as fast as he had the previous day. He also gave her another look as he walked out, but what that look meant, Danielle wasn't entirely sure.

About halfway through second period, her anger had finally faded off enough for her to feel the first twinges if embarrassment. As Danielle sat in her seat in the front row and diligently ignored Jasper, who currently sat in the back corner, she found herself cringing as she thought about what she had done that morning. And the more she thought about what had happened, the more embarrassed she began feel. She had, more or less, _attacked_ Jasper. And in front of the whole school, no less. What had she been thinking? That wasn't her. She didn't get physical with people, and especially not with people she cared about. It didn't matter how absolutely _infuriating_ they were being – she just didn't _do_ things like that.

It didn't take much longer for the remorse to start kicking in. Being mad at Jasper was understandable, but getting violent with him? It didn't matter that he was a vampire and that she couldn't do any _real_ harm to him. The way she had behaved was _not_ acceptable. He probably thought she was a lunatic now – actually, the _whole school_ probably thought she was a lunatic by this point.

It was her turn to run out of class when the bell rang. She packed up as fast as she could and darted out, wanting to get away from Jasper as quickly as possible simply because she was now way too embarrassed to even look at him. Thankfully, he didn't try to stop her or talk to her, not that she had really expected him to anyway.

History passed by in what seemed like the blink of an eye and with minimal comments from Emmett. Before she knew it, she was walking into Spanish. Since they had not ridden to school together, this was the first time she had seen Bella that day. Her friend gave her an odd look when she walked in, then quickly leaned toward her the moment Danielle sat down.

"Why have I been hearing rumors that you were beating the crap out of Jasper in the parking lot this morning?" she asked in a low tone.

Danielle blushed, then cringed. "Because I _did_ sort of beat the crap out of him this morning?"

Bella had clearly thought the rumors were made up, because she looked positively shocked to learn that they were actually true. "Why? What happened? I thought everything was alright between you guys?"

Danielle sighed. "Yeah, I lied," she admitted. "The moron won't talk to me, okay?" she finally confessed. "Ever since we found out about… _you know…_ he's been ignoring me. I decided to try to talk to him again this morning and he brushed me off. So I got mad and kinda…lost my temper," she explained.

Bella looked dumbfounded. "Jasper won't talk to you?" Danielle nodded in confirmation. "Why didn't you tell me?" she then asked in exasperation.

"You've been so happy about Edward. I didn't want to burst your bubble," Danielle replied with a shrug.

Bella gave her a disbelieving look. "Now who's being the moron?" she shot back. "You should've _talked_ to me about it. That's what friends are for. They _talk_ to each other," Bella said pointedly.

"I know, I know," Danielle said quickly. "And I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Bella said. She paused, then tilted her head questioningly. "So what're you going to do about Jasper then?" she asked.

Danielle sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "You mean _after_ I'm done finding a hole to crawl into and die of embarrassment?" she asked wryly. She dropped her hand from her face and shook her head. "I have no idea. This whole thing has turned into a complete mess."

"Why don't you try talking to him at lunch?" Bella suggested.

Danielle just snorted and shook her head. "You make it sound so easy," she retorted cynically.

Bella just gave her a sympathetic look in return.

She was absolutely dreading lunch, so, of course, Spanish seemed to fly by even faster than usual, which made lunch arrive way too quickly for her liking. Danielle and Bella left class, then made their way to the cafeteria. Danielle dragged her feet, wanting to put off the inevitable for as long as possible. But she could only stall for so long, and, soon enough, the doors to the cafeteria popped into view, looming ominously in the distance. Danielle walked even slower, gulping nervously and feeling her heart beat faster underneath her ribs. Finally, when the doors were only about ten feet away, she stopped walking altogether.

"I can't go in there," she croaked out, shaking her head. She couldn't face Jasper right now, nor could she face their peers, who would all undoubtedly stare at her like she was an escaped mental patient the moment she walked in.

Bella turned back and grabbed her by the arm. "Yes, you can," she said encouragingly, before pulling her closer to the cafeteria doors.

Danielle planted her feet firmly on the ground to resist her friend's pulls. "I'm serious, Bella," Danielle insisted as she began trying to work her arm free. "I don't want to go in there."

Bella stopped to face her again. Most of the students going to lunch had already gone inside the cafeteria, so they were alone now. "Dani, you're being a little ridiculous," she said with a frown. "Things will _never_ get better between you and Jasper if you hide from him," she pointed out. "Just go in there and _talk to him._ "

Danielle considered her friend's words, then finally sighed and nodded. "Alright, fine," she said with resignation. "Just give me a few minutes to get it together, though, okay?" Bella quirked a suspicious brow, which made Danielle raise a hand in surrender. "I'll be in there in a second, I promise."

Bella finally nodded, then released her hold on Danielle's arm. "Alright. But if I don't see you in five minutes, I'm coming out to get you."

Danielle nodded in understanding. With that, Bella turned and headed into the cafeteria, and the moment she was gone, Danielle knew she was in the clear. Bella would soon be with Edward, and once they were together, she knew Bella would forget _all_ about her. Sighing to herself, she glanced toward the parking lot, wondering if it was worth the risk to skip out on the rest of the school day and salvage whatever dignity she had left. Her mother would be _furious,_ of course, but facing her mother's wrath sounded a whole lot better than facing Jasper.

It was as she stood there by herself, contemplating her options, that a strong, solid arm suddenly wrapped around her waist. The next thing she knew, she was moving faster than she ever had in her whole life. Wind whistled past her ears and the world turned into nothing but a blur of color. Then, as suddenly as it had happened, it stopped. She was now standing behind the cafeteria, well out of view of anyone else, her back pressed against the wall and her confused mind struggling to understand what in the _world_ had just happened. Then she realized that she wasn't alone. Jasper was standing in front of her, staring back at her with a fierce glint in his eyes.

"Jasper?" she said with confusion, still feeling dazed from how quickly they had just moved. "What the hell just happened?"

He didn't answer though. He merely gave her a hard look, his brows stitched together with determination. "Do you _honestly_ believe that I don't care about you?" he demanded. "Do you _truly_ think that you've meant _that little to me_?" he asked next, throwing her words from earlier back at her.

Danielle looked at him for a moment, then frowned as her confusion quickly turned back into anger. She dropped her books unto the ground without care and then crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, what am I supposed to think, Jasper?" she countered. "You refuse to talk to me, you _barely_ even _look_ at me! You just shut me out!"

"I was _trying_ to give us both a little space to _think_ _everything_ _through_ ," Jasper said with forced patience.

Danielle looked at him as if he has birds flying out of his ears. "And you thought pretending I wasn't even _there_ was the way to go about doing that?" she asked incredulously. For a smart guy, he was being pretty stupid right now. "You freaking told me we shouldn't even be around each other anymore, Jasper!"

"I said we shouldn't be around each other for a _while_ ," he corrected, which only served to make her angrier.

"What's the damn difference?" she snapped. "Either way, you're still pushing me away!"

Jasper heaved and shifted on his feet. "I made a _mistake_ , alright?" he finally admitted. "I didn't see it at first, but I can _certainly_ see now that I did not go about any of this the right way."

Danielle snorted. That was the understatement of the year. " _Ya_ _think?"_ she retorted sarcastically.

Silence passed between them for the next few moments, as if they had come to the mutual agreement that they needed a respite to try to get themselves calm again. Jasper stared at her intently, looking very much like he was trying to decide what to say next, while Danielle glared angrily into the distance, refusing to look at him. Finally, Jasper shoved a hand through his hair.

"I'm sorry, Danielle," he said to break the silence. His previous anger was gone, replaced now by nothing but regret now. "I know that I hurt you, and it _wasn't_ what I wanted to do," he said sincerely. "I just…" Jasper shook his head, his eyes flashing with frustration as he struggled with his words. This was the first time she had seen him so out of sorts. "This isn't easy for me to explain," he finally said with a heave.

" _Try,_ " Danielle shot back.

Jasper heaved again, then gave her a long look. "I have _never_ cared about _anyone_ the way I care about you _,_ Danielle," he finally said, and that was one _heck_ of an opening line if you asked her. "Before you, I was miserable. I have my family, yes…but I was lonely and I never found real joy in _anything._ " His eyes filled with tenderness now as he looked at her. "But then I met you, and all of that changed. For the first time in a long time, I actually have something to look forward to every day. You make me feel normal _._ You make me feel like this world was actually _worth_ being in. You make me feel _happy_ ," he told her earnestly.

Just like that, her anger was gone. Danielle gaped at him as he spoke, feeling that pain that had been in her heart since the day before already beginning to fade away at his confession.

"But when Edward told me that you and Bella knew the truth, it scared the hell out of me," Jasper continued. "I didn't know how you would react. I didn't know if you would accept me for what I am, or if you would be scared and push me away. The part of me that can't imagine _not_ having you in my life hoped and prayed that you would understand," he said. But he frowned, looking incredibly conflicted. "But the part of me that is _terrified_ of hurting you thought that maybe it would be better if you _were_ scared. If you _did_ push me away. And maybe that's part of the reason I pulled away from you," he admitted. "I thought if you _were_ going to push me away, then it might be less painful if I started trying not to be so… _attached_ to you."

Jasper raked his hand through his hair again. "It's harder for me, Danielle," he confessed. "This lifestyle we chose…it doesn't come as easily for me as it does for the others. I still have trouble fighting my instincts and my urges. And the truth is that _you_ , _your blood_ …it has a stronger effect on me than anyone else's. It's why I behaved the way I did the first time we met," he revealed with a grimace. "Your scent hit me like a ton of bricks. It drove me _insane_. I came so close to losing it. So close to…"

He stopped for a moment and closed his eyes, before shaking his head. "It's gotten a little easier now that I've spent so much time with you, but not by much. And that's where my fear comes in. If I lost control, if I were to ever _hurt_ you…I would never be able live with myself," Jasper said, his voice going thick with emotion. "I would hate myself until the end of my days."

"You're not going to _hurt_ me, Jasper," Danielle finally said.

He smiled humorlessly and shook his head. "I already have," he reminded her. He suddenly looked down at her arms, then reached out and gently placed his hands on the exact places he has grabbed her that first day they had met. The moment he touched her, all of her nerves came to life, as if they had been jump started. "I grabbed you. I left _bruises_ on you," he said quietly, his eyes filling with self loathing. "What if, next time, I don't let you go? What if I do something _worse_ next time?"

"You won't, because there won't _be_ a next time," Danielle said firmly. "I _know_ you, Jasper. And that guy I met that day, the one who grabbed me? That isn't _you_. _This_ is you," she said, pressing a hand to his chest. "This is the _real_ Jasper. You've proven that to me over and over again. And I know you won't hurt me," she repeated firmly.

"How do you know?" he asked doubtfully.

"Because I _trust_ you, Jasper," she said. "And I trust that you would never do anything to intentionally harm me."

Jasper seemed genuinely confused. "How?" he asked. "How can you trust me when you know what I am?"

Danielle smiled and shook her head. "You're not a _monster._ You're kind and you're _good._ You being a vampire doesn't change that," she stated firmly. "It doesn't change the way I feel about you, either. I'm still just as crazy about you as I was before I found out."

Jasper shook his head. He looked as though he couldn't decide if he should feel happy, or if he should feel _scared_ , that she still felt the same way about him. "But, Danielle – "

"You've said your piece, now let me say mine," Danielle interrupted gently, making him fall silent. When he nodded for her to continue, she sucked in a deep breath. "Look, I'm going to be _completely_ honest with you. When I learned the truth about you and your family, I was shocked as hell. Bella and I had been talking about it being a possibility, but never, in a million years, would I have thought it was actually _true._ "

She looked up at him with determination. "But as crazy as this all is, I'm _not_ afraid, Jasper. Maybe that makes me an idiot, maybe that makes me naïve. I don't care. All I care about is _you_ ," she said with a nod. "And if there's anything about this that scares me, it's the thought of _losing_ you." She moved the hand that had been on his chest to rest it on his neck instead. His skin was cold underneath her palm. "I don't know how this works, me being human and you being a vampire. But I _do_ know that I don't want to lose you, Jasper. You're _important_ to me. I've never felt like this about _anyone_. Only you. I want to be with you, and I'll do whatever I have to in order to make it work," she admitted once and for all.

Jasper looked at her for a long moment, then sighed heavily. His gently grabbed the hand that she had on his neck, then took both of her hands in his. He looked down at their joined hands for a moment, his thumbs sliding along the tops of her knuckles, before he looked back up at her. "That's what I did – and _didn't_ – want to hear you say," Jasper admitted. He gave her another look, then raised his brows skeptically. "Have you _really_ thought about this, Danielle?"

Danielle remembered the past four days of overanalyzing and scoffed. "Trust me. I've thought about it plenty," she assured him.

"And you don't want to find some normal, _human_ guy to be with?" he asked next.

"No," she answered without hesitation.

Jasper paused again. "It will be risky, us being together," he then warned.

Danielle couldn't help but feel a spark of hope at those words. "Like I said – I trust you. Now are you gonna stop trying to convince me this isn't a good idea? Because us Clarks are known for our stubbornness – nothing you could say is gonna change my mind, and that's that," she said with finality.

Jasper shook his head, looking almost helpless now. "I just want you to know what you're getting into. I just want what's _best_ for you."

Danielle smiled. "How about you let _me_ decide what's best for me, okay?"

Jasper sighed, then slowly nodded. After a moment, he stepped closer and released one of her hands so he could brush her hair back away from her face. Danielle closed her eyes and leaned into his touch as his fingers then trailed along her cheek, sighing contentedly as every single one of her senses tuned into him. She felt the weight that had been hanging over her finally begin to lift. That awkwardness and uncertainty that had been hanging over them was gone. Things were beginning to feel normal between them again.

Danielle opened her eyes again and frowned with apology. "I'm sorry for this morning," she said, her expression full of remorse. "I shouldn't have called you an asshole, and I _definitely_ shouldn't have tried to beat you up. I feel horrible that I did that."

"It's alright. I forgive you," Jasper reassured her. "Besides, I probably deserved it. I've been an idiot."

Danielle smiled. "Idiot or not, I still like you." Jasper returned her smile, and at the exact same time, a strong rush of affection washed over her. Danielle gasped a bit, then gave him a curious look. "Is that _you_ that keeps doing that?" she finally had to ask.

Jasper nodded. "Yes. It's a… _special talent_ of mine. I can feel and control the emotions of others around me." He tilted his head curiously. "When did you start noticing my power?"

"A while ago. But I didn't know what it was or why it was happening," she admitted. Jasper made a sound of understanding. "Can all vampires do it?"

Jasper shook his head. "I'm the only one I know who can do what I do. But other vampires do have other powers," he told her. "For example, Edward can read minds."

Danielle's eyes went very wide. Bella definitely _hadn't_ mentioned they little tidbit the night before. "Edward reads _minds_?" she asked incredulously. After Jasper nodded in confirmation, she frowned and gave him a look. "So wait…if you weren't sure how I was handling all this, why didn't you just ask Edward what I was thinking?" she asked with confusion. "It would have saved us a _lot_ of trouble."

"Because Edward doesn't read _your_ mind," Jasper said. When she gave him a questioning look in return, he shrugged at her. "When you and I started becoming closer, I _very kindly_ _asked_ Edward not to read your thoughts," he explained.

Danielle gave him a look. "And by _very kindly asked_ , you mean…?" she prompted, feeling like there was more to that statement.

Jasper smirked a bit now. "I informed him that he had better respect your privacy and stay out of your head, otherwise I was going to break his arm off," he admitted.

Danielle couldn't help but laugh. "So protective," she commented, feeling rather touched by the whole thing.

"Only when it comes to the ones I care about the most," he said without hesitation.

Danielle smiled and felt her heart flutter. She glanced down at her right hand, which Jasper still held securely within his left one, loving the way her hand fit in his. The coldness of his skin didn't bother her in the slightest. "So what now?" she asked as she looked back at Jasper, needing to hear with her own two ears that this was _actually_ happening _._ "Are we…together?"

Jasper paused for a second, then nodded. "Yes, I would say we are," he answered, which made her heart fill with pure joy. Jasper must have felt her surge of happiness, because he smiled. "Honestly, I don't think I could have stayed away from you even if I wanted to, which I _don't._ You mean too much to me," he told her, his eyes scanning her features with adoration. "It's been difficult, keeping my distance from you these past few days. Especially so considering what happened before I left to go hunting," he added with a meaningful look.

Danielle immediately thought back to the moment on her porch and felt heat scorch through her veins. She wasn't entirely sure if the sudden desire she felt was _hers_ or _Jasper's,_ whose eyes had gone a shade or two darker. "That was something, huh?" she asked, her voice breathless now.

"It was torture," Jasper admitted, his voice a bit huskier than normal. He gently tilted her chin up with his knuckle, then slowly ran his thumb along her bottom lip. Danielle's heart stopped for a moment, then began to beat double-time within her chest. "I could feel all of your affection and desire hitting me like a cannon blast. All I wanted to do was kiss you senseless," he told her. "But I was…afraid. My self control was slipping already as it was. I feared if I kissed you that things would get out of hand very quickly."

Danielle gulped. "How's your self control right now?" she asked, her eyes glancing down at his lips before peering intently back into his.

Jasper smirked, but his eyes were intense, smoldering. "If you keep looking at me like _that,_ it won't be around for much longer," he warned.

Danielle gave him a small smile. "Then you had better kiss me while you still can," she suggested quietly.

The smirk on Jasper's face fell and his expression became very serious. He looked as though he wanted very much to kiss her, but he looked afraid to actually go through with it. "It could be dangerous," he said hesitantly.

"I trust you," Danielle said with a nod. "I know you won't hurt me."

Jasper hesitated again, then, after what felt like the longest second in the history of time, he stepped even closer, so that there was hardly any space between them. He rested his hands on either side of her neck, his eyes searching hers intently. Danielle placed her hands on his waist and smiled, nodding to him encouragingly. Finally, as if he could only move in slow motion, he very slowly leaned down and, after one last moment of hesitation, he gently pressed his lips against hers.

The moment their lips touched, fire raced through her and fireworks exploded behind her eyelids. It was a soft kiss, sweet and tender and undemanding. It felt so wonderful and so phenomenally _right_ that she knew, without question, that she would never want to kiss anyone but Jasper for the rest of her life. Jasper slid a hand around to the back of her neck and kissed her just a little bit firmer, making Danielle sigh contentedly and lean into him even more, her lips happily moving with his. The rest of the world had ceased to exist. There was only her and Jasper and this amazing kiss.

He finally pulled his lips from hers, then let out a slightly shaky breath. Danielle opened her eyes to look at him, and though his eyes were still dark, they weren't black. He looked like he was still very much in control of himself. "That went well," he said.

"There's certainly no complaints on _this_ end," she said dreamily.

He looked as though he wanted to kiss her again, but he didn't. "We should stop now," he said with slight reluctance. "I don't want to push it."

Danielle felt a little disappointed, nodded understandingly. "Okay."

Jasper flashed a smile at her, then leaned forward and pressed a sweet kiss to her forehead. Danielle closed her eyes and smiled, hardly unable to believe how incredibly happy she was and how vastly things had changed in such a short amount of time. As Jasper pulled back again and looked down at her, she couldn't help but look up at him sappily. "This has turned out to be one hell of a good day," she said.

Jasper nodded, his eyes full of adoration as he caressed her cheek. "I couldn't agree more."

Quite out of nowhere, Danielle's stomach let out a loud growl of hunger that could not be ignored, which successfully put an end to the moment they'd been having. Danielle laughed and put a hand over her stomach, while Jasper shot her an amused look. "Hungry?" he asked.

"Just a bit," Danielle admitted with a shrug.

Jasper grabbed her wrist and looked at the time on her watch. "Lunch is halfway over already," he said, which was quite a surprise to her. How had they been standing out here for so long? How had the time passed so quickly? "Do you want to go and get something to eat before they shut down the lunch line?"

Danielle really _, really_ didn't want to go into the cafeteria where everyone else was. She wanted to stay here with Jasper, where they could be alone and get to enjoy being with one another in private. But she _was_ hungry, and she knew she'd suffer for the rest of the school day if she didn't eat something. "Yeah, I probably should."

Jasper nodded, then finally pulled away from her, which instantly left her feeling cold and bereft. But then he leaned down to pick up the books she'd dropped earlier before grabbing her hand with his free one, his fingers intertwining with her own. Danielle instantly brightened again, her brief feelings of disappointment rapidly evaporating.

They walked hand in and hand toward the front of the cafeteria, smiling at one another almost the entire way. When they finally reached the front doors, Jasper released her hand for a quick second so that he could open the door for her, ushering her through with a nod. Danielle stepped in, then waited for Jasper to rejoin her before quickly grabbing his hand again. They then began walking toward the lunch line, which was thankfully still open.

As they walked across the cafeteria, Danielle could not help but notice that more and more eyes seemed to be turning in their direction. The fact that she and Jasper had just arrived together had not gone unnoticed, nor had it escaped anyone's attention that they were very much holding hands. Danielle's cheeks turned a little pink as some whispers began to break out, but Jasper didn't seem to notice. That, or he just didn't _care_.

"People are definitely staring," she whispered to him.

"I know," Jasper said without needing to look for himself. "I can feel a lot of jealousy in the room right now," he then said.

Danielle wasn't surprised to hear that. "Well, I _have_ noticed that you've got quite a few admirers. I'm sure they're pretty jealous that I'm with you and _they_ aren't," she said with a nod.

Jasper looked down at her and quirked a brow. "I'm fairly certain the jealousy I'm sensing is because of _your_ admirers. Not mine," he stated matter-of-factly.

It was Danielle's turn to quirk a brow at him. "What are you even talking about?" she asked. "I don't have admirers."

Jasper's eyes flashed with incredulity. "You _honestly_ haven't seen the way the males in this school look at you?" Danielle just shrugged. " _I've_ certainly noticed," Jasper told her, and he didn't sound all that thrilled with the fact that other guys had – allegedly – been admiring her from afar. He narrowed his eyes and finally looked at the many people staring in their direction. He seemed to silently be telling her would be ' _admirers'_ to back off.

Danielle squeezed his hand to make him look at her again. "I couldn't care less about any of them, Jasper," she told him. "The only guy _I_ care about is the one that's right next to me."

Jasper instantly relaxed again. He didn't say anything in response, but his eyes gleamed with affection as he raised the hand that he held up to his mouth so he could kiss her knuckles. Danielle grinned in response, a pleasant warmth radiating from the place he had kissed her.

They finally released each other's hands when they reached the lunch line, that way they could both grab a tray and start filling it with food. Danielle shot a few curious looks toward Jasper as they moved along the line, eyeing the chicken tenders and the French fries he added to his tray. Jasper seemed to notice and gave her a questioning look, silently asking what was on her mind.

"Do you _like_ eating regular food?" Danielle asked quietly.

"Not particularly," Jasper admitted, pulling a slight face of disgust as he looked down at his food choices. "It more or less tastes like dirt to us. But it helps to keep up the façade."

Danielle nodded in understanding. Suddenly she was filled with all sorts of questions, questions that hadn't occurred to her while they'd been talking things out and, well, _kissing_. How old was Jasper? Where all had he lived? What sort of things had he seen? What other kinds of super cool vampire abilities did he possess?

"What are you thinking about now?" Jasper asked. She suspected that he could feel the curiosity bubbling away within.

"Just the hundreds of questions I want to ask you," Danielle revealed. "There's a lot I want to know about."

Jasper nodded, as if this was something he had expected. "I don't doubt that there's a lot that you're curious about," he said. "Though I don't think now is the time to discuss it," he added, looking meaningfully at the many people in the cafeteria.

Danielle sighed. "You're probably right."

When they finished grabbing their food, they went to the register to pay. Jasper, of course, insisted on buying Danielle's lunch, and after a quick back and forth she finally caved and let him pay. They then took a moment to look for a spot to sit, knowing that all the tables would already be taken because they had arrived so late. Danielle noticed the lunch group eyeing them, and though most of them were whispering to one another, Angela flashed a big smile and gave her a thumbs up. Danielle's eyes then shifted to the Cullen table. Rosalie was sitting with her arms crossed and a sour expression on her face, but Emmett and Alice both looked happy to see her and Jasper together again. Finally, Danielle looked at the table where Edward and Bella were sitting. Bella looked positively thrilled, while Edward's expression was difficult to read.

"Wanna sit with them?" Danielle asked, nodding toward Edward and Bella. "It's the emptiest table we're gonna find."

Jasper glanced that way, then shrugged. "I suppose so."

They went over to Edward and Bella's table, ignoring the many eyes that followed them as they went. She thought she saw Edward frown with displeasure, as if he wasn't happy that they were coming to sit with them, but Bella seemed alright with it. She smiled as Danielle and Jasper approached, her eyes bouncing back and forth between them expectantly.

"Hi, guys," Danielle greeted. "Mind if we join you?"

"Yeah, of course," Bella said without hesitation.

Danielle claimed the empty seat next to Bella, while Jasper took the one next to Edward. He was a bit further away than Danielle would have preferred, but when she felt Jasper's knee touch hers under the table, she forgot to feel upset about it.

"I noticed you weren't here and thought you'd made a run for it," Bella said to her with a smirk.

"I considered it. But Jasper found me before I could," Danielle admitted, flashing a smile at Jasper.

She glanced at Edward as silence settled over the table, noticing the way he was looking at Jasper. He seemed curious at first, then quite surprised, before he pressed his lips together tightly, his expression turning unreadable again. Danielle couldn't help but wonder if Edward had gone diving into Jasper's thoughts and was now seeing everything that had just happened between them, including that wonderful kiss they had just shared. Finally, just as Danielle was beginning to feel uncomfortable with Edward's possible prying, he looked at her and gave her a pinched smile.

"It seems congratulations are in order," he said in a perfectly polite tone. "I'm relieved the two of you have been able to work things out."

Danielle smiled and nodded, though she couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. Edward _did_ seem glad about the fact that she and Jasper were getting along again, but there was something in his expression that she couldn't quite read, something that made her think that there was something else that was bothering him. "Thanks, Edward," she said anyway.

Having lunch with Edward and Bella felt equally as awkward as when she and Jasper had had lunch with her friends the week before. They tried to make small talk, but conversation didn't flow very easily and they struggled to keep it going. All in all, the whole atmosphere just felt uncomfortable. Though neither of them said anything of the sort, Danielle still felt like she and Jasper were intruding on Edward and Bella's space. It was quite a relief when the bell rang to signal the end of lunch. Danielle and Jasper said goodbye to Edward and Bella, then went to throw their trash away before heading out of the cafeteria together.

"Glad that wasn't super weird or anything," Danielle huffed sarcastically as they walked hand-in-hand toward her locker. "I'd say we're a long way away from things being comfortable enough to go on any double-dates with them."

Jasper smirked. "I'm not going to complain about that." He then leaned closer, so that he could speak directly into her ear. "I'd much rather have you all to myself," he said lowly.

Danielle looked up at him, her heart jumping in her chest when she saw the gleam in his eyes. "You make it very hard for me to think coherently when you look at me like that," she said, ignoring how breathless she suddenly sounded.

"I'm sorry," Jasper said, though he didn't sound all that apologetic.

They went to her locker and got her book for Physics, then Jasper escorted her to class, holding her hand tightly within his own the whole time. When they reached the classroom, they stopped and faced one another. Danielle couldn't help feeling disappointed now – she didn't want to part ways with him, not after how fantastic and wonderful everything was now. She wanted to stay with him for every minute of every day.

"We'll see each other soon," Jasper reminded her, clearly sensing her hesitance to say goodbye.

"Not soon enough," Danielle countered.

Jasper smiled, then released her hand so he could tuck a curly, red lock of hair behind her ear. "I was thinking…why don't you and I do something after school?" he suggested. "It would give us a chance to talk more about everything. That and, well…I don't want to have to wait until tomorrow to see you again," he added.

Danielle immediately nodded. "Yeah, of course. I'd love to." She didn't bother asking _what_ he wanted to do, because she didn't care. All that mattered was that she would be with Jasper.

"Great," he said, sounding pleased. "I'll meet you after school, then."

Danielle nodded, then sighed contentedly when Jasper pulled her close and pressed a kiss to her hair. He finally released her, then took a step backward. He didn't really look like he wanted to leave her, either, but finally, after giving her a long look, he flashed one last smile and turned to leave. Danielle watched him go, grinning like a love-sick fool to herself, until she couldn't see him anymore. Then she finally turned and practically floated into her classroom.

* * *

 **Yay! Hope you guys liked it!**

 **P.S. In the original version, Jasper and Danielle didn't actually kiss until a little later into the story. But I don't know. When I was rewriting it, having them kiss now just felt right. So, yeah.**


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Eleven_

It was hard not to feel annoyed as Physics seemed to drag by slower than it usually did. Knowing that she had plans to spend extra time with Jasper after school left Danielle practically bouncing with excitement, but knowing that she still had a few more hours of school to suffer through before she could be with him also made her feel incredibly impatient. She watched the clock all through Physics, her eyes following the second hand as it _tick tock tick_ 'ed its way around the clock. Finally the bell rang, and she hurried off to Gym, hoping that their current badminton tournament would make the class go by at least a _little_ faster than the previous one had.

Danielle was already in the girl's locker room and had already changed into her gym clothes by the time Bella arrived. Bella quickly made her way over, her expression eager.

"Okay," she said, opening her locker so she could stow away her books then turning an expectant look on Danielle. "Now that Edward and Jasper aren't around, I wanna hear what happened," she said.

Danielle happily launched into the story of what had happened between her and Jasper during lunch. "Well, to summarize, we argued first, then we had a very serious talk where he more or less told me he wanted to be with me but was afraid that something would go wrong. I told him that I wanted to be with him too and that my mind was made up, so there wasn't any point trying to convince me otherwise. Then we established that we are officially together, and then," Danielle paused and sighed, a dreamy smile appearing on her face. "Then we kissed," she revealed.

Bella's eyes widened with surprise. "Wow. You guys _actually_ kissed?" Danielle nodded in confirmation. "How was it?" Bella asked curiously.

"Incredible," Danielle said wistfully.

Bella smiled, but it didn't completely reach her eyes. Danielle thought she saw something in her friend's gaze that looked a little like jealousy. "That's great, Dani," she said with a nod. "I'm _really_ happy for you."

"Thanks," Danielle said. She then tilted her head curiously. "What about you and Edward? How's that going?"

Bella sighed a little, but nodded her head. "Good…I think," she said with a small shrug. "We're definitely nowhere near where you and Jasper are, but…things seem to be okay," she continued. "It's kind of like what you said about Jasper – I think Edward likes me, but he's afraid that he'll hurt me. He keeps trying to give me all these chances to change my mind about him, even though I keep telling him I'm not going to."

Danielle nodded in understanding. "Sounds like he's just being extra cautious," she said. "You're still hanging out with him on Saturday?" Bella nodded. "Maybe things will change after that. Maybe some quality alone time is what you guys need to really figure out where everything is going."

"I hope so," Bella said. "I feel like we're in limbo right now, like it could go either way. I need a definite answer here, otherwise I'm going to lose my mind."

Danielle smiled sympathetically. "Hang in there, pal. If Jasper can be with _me_ , then I don't see any reason why Edward can't be with _you_ ," she reasoned. "And if Edward has even _half_ a brain in that head of his, he'll see that, too."

Bella just smiled gratefully in return, silently telling Danielle that she appreciated her words of encouragement.

When class started, Danielle and Bella teamed up and the badminton playing commenced. Just as had been the case since they had started this new sport, Danielle did most of the work. Bella attempted to help, but her lack of athletic skill combined with her clumsiness meant she did more damage than good. She always missed when the ball came toward her and she always seemed to find something to trip on, which was almost impressive considering they were playing on a perfectly flat surface. The icing on the cake happened when Danielle and Bella went for the ball at the same time and Bella accidently whacked her with the racket, which left her with big welt on her shoulder. Even when the final bell rang and they were finished changing back into their regular clothes, Bella was still apologizing profusely.

"I'm so, so sorry, Dani," Bella said as they grabbed their things and began making their way out of the locker room.

"Honestly, Bella, I'm fine," Danielle insisted for the twentieth time. "It's not the first time you've injured me, and I doubt it'll be the last."

Bella sighed. "Yeah, that doesn't make me feel any better," she said with a frown of guilt. "I don't care if _I_ get a few bumps and bruises, but when my clumsiness starts affecting other people, I feel awful."

"It's not like I'm made out of glass," Danielle reminded her. "The bump will probably be gone by the morning. So stop beating yourself up about it, okay?" she said firmly.

Bella pursed her lips, but finally nodded. "Okay," she said, before finally putting an end to her apology tour.

They stepped out of the locker rooms together after that, and to Danielle's delight, she discovered that both Jasper and Edward were waiting for them. The two vampires had been talking quietly with one another, their expressions rather on the serious side, but both quickly looked to her and Bella the moment they sensed their presence. Jasper grinned broadly when he saw her, which, in turn, made Danielle grin just as widely. She hurried over to him, momentarily forgetting that Bella and Edward were even there. Jasper grabbed her hand once she was close enough, then pulled her closer so he could press a lingering kiss against her red curls. Danielle instantly felt calm and happy, and it _wasn't_ because of Jasper's powers – just being close to him and having him touch her made everything in the world feel right again.

"Dani?" Bella said to catch her attention. Danielle shifted her attention to Bella, who was standing next to Edward and looking the tiniest bit awkward. Edward was just looking back and forth between the two of them, his expression impenetrable. "Edward and I are going to go."

"Okay," Danielle said with a nod. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Bella nodded, then after she and Edward said their goodbyes, they headed off down the hall. Danielle and Jasper watched them go, and it did not escape her notice when Bella shot what seemed like a longing look in Edward's direction as they walked side-by-side. Her friend quickly turned her eyes away, however, when Edward glanced down at her, and the two continued on.

Danielle sighed, unable to help feeling a bit bad for her friend. When she turned her gaze back to Jasper, he had a slight frown on his lips. "What do you feel?" she asked quietly, curious to know what he was sensing from her friend and his brother.

"From them?" Jasper asked. "Uncertainty, fear, longing…envy," he listed off. He stared after them for a moment longer, then looked down at her. "I think they see us being more comfortable with each other and they want that for themselves. But I know for a fact that Edward doesn't think himself ready for that yet," he explained. "He thinks it's too dangerous."

"Gee, that sounds familiar," Danielle commented, which made Jasper give her a look. She just gave him the same look in return, before sighing quietly. "Maybe we should tone down the affection in front of them a little," she suggested reluctantly. When Jasper frowned, Danielle quickly explained herself. "I don't mind you being affectionate with me one single bit. In fact, I _love_ it," she quickly reassured him. "But I kinda feel like we're rubbing it in their faces that we can be close to each other when they obviously _can't_ ," she added with a shrug. "It makes me feel a bit like a jerk."

"I suppose I can see your point," Jasper conceded. "I'll _try_ not to be so overzealous in front of them," he then said. "But I can't promise I'll be successful at it," he added warningly, before giving her a lopsided smile. "You make it difficult for me to keep myself in check sometimes."

His eyes gleamed for a moment and a small wave of desire washed over her, making her breath catch in her throat. Danielle unconsciously leaned closer to him, any thoughts of Edward and Bella – as well as _most_ coherent thoughts in general – quickly vanishing from her mind. "You keep using your power on me like that and we might have bigger problems to worry about, like me having permanent brain damage," she warned breathlessly.

Jasper smirked, and the desire he'd just made her feel instantly disappeared. "Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we?" he asked.

Danielle shook her head, her thoughts beginning to function normally again. "Preferably not." She took a moment to clear her throat after that, then raised her brows at him questioningly. "So what sort of plans did you have in mind for our after-school adventure?" she asked, thinking it wise to change the subject and steer the conversation toward safer territory.

"Have you been to Bogachiel State Park yet?" he asked her. Danielle shook her head. "It's about six miles south of here. Very nice scenery and lots of open space. It'd be a perfect place to talk, if you'd like to go there," Jasper suggested.

"Sure," Danielle readily agreed. "I should probably take Bella's truck back to her house first, though," she told him. "She doesn't mind me driving it to and from school, but I don't know if she'd appreciate it if I started taking it out for joyrides just for the fun of it."

Jasper thought about it for a second, then nodded and extended his free hand toward her. "Give me the key," he urged. "I'll give it to Alice and have her take Bella's truck back. While I do that, you go ahead and go to your locker. Meet me in the woods behind the school when you're ready to go."

Danielle couldn't help but quirk an uncertain eyebrow. "Quick question," she said. "How exactly are we _traveling_ to this park? And why do we have to meet in the woods?"

Jasper just smiled. "You'll see," he answered vaguely.

Danielle peered up at him with skepticism for a moment, then finally reached into her pocket to grab the key to Bella's truck and hand it to him. Jasper gave her one last smile, then released her hand and headed off down the hallway without another word. Danielle watched him go, suddenly hit with the distinct feeling that she was about to be in for something quite interesting indeed. Then, with a shake of her head, she finally headed off toward her locker.

* * *

By the time she had collected her backpack and her homework and was walking into the forest behind the school, five minutes had passed. She made her way carefully between the green trees of the woods, able to distantly hear the sounds of the many cars that were driving out of the school parking lot, her eyes watching the ground carefully for any roots that might try to trip her. Once she was about a dozen or so yards in, she began to search for any signs of Jasper anywhere in the forest.

"I'm over here," a familiar voice suddenly called from somewhere on her right, which made her jump in slight surprise.

Danielle turned that way and followed the sound of his voice, until she eventually found him patiently leaning against a tree. He smiled widely when he saw her, which made her heart thump against her ribs. He pushed away from the tree as she approached and walked toward her. "If you saw me come into the forest, why didn't you come to meet me?" Danielle asked curiously.

"I didn't want to startle you," Jasper said with a shrug.

Danielle nodded in understanding. "Alright, so…why are we meeting _here_?" she asked, glancing around at the lush, green scenery surrounding them.

"Because we're going to run to the park, but we can't exactly do that where other people can see," Jasper answered simply.

Danielle pursed her lips doubtfully. "We're _running_?" she asked, before glancing down at her shoes. "I mean, I don't _mind_ getting a bit of exercise here or there, but running six miles in the woods sounds a little extreme to me," she said. "Plus, I'm not exactly dressed for a jog."

Jasper laughed, and though she very much liked the sound of his laughter, it only made her doubt increase. "Let me clarify," Jasper said once he'd stopped laughing. " _I'm_ going to run. _You_ are going to hold on."

Danielle looked at him with wide eyes now as she finally realized exactly what he meant to do. "I'm sorry, _what_?" she asked, nervous butterflies filling her belly as he took a step closer. She could remember how fast they had moved earlier when he'd taken her behind the cafeteria at lunch time. Just going that small distance had been disorienting enough – she couldn't imagine them travelling for an extended period of time at a speed like that.

Jasper just smiled and extended a hand toward her. "You trust me, right?" he asked. Danielle looked at his hand, raised her gaze to his, then nodded in confirmation. "Then take my hand," he urged.

Danielle hesitated for one moment, then slowly slipped her hand into his. The next thing she knew, he had flung her onto his back as if she weighed no more than a feather, making her feel a bit like a koala hanging on to a tree. Danielle wrapped her arms around his neck while he held her firmly behind the knees, ensuring that she was anchored to his back. She ignored how wonderful he smelled and how soft his hair felt against her cheek, her eyes going wide as nervousness flooded her belly.

"It'll be strange for you at first, but you'll be alright, I promise," Jasper told her reassuringly as he looked at her over his shoulder. "Just hold on really, really tight," he advised. "And you should probably close your eyes."

Danielle tightened her arms and molded herself to his back, her heart pounding so hard with anticipation that she was almost certain _he_ could feel it. "Ready?" Jasper asked.

Danielle nodded, and with that, he took off.

She'd never moved so fast in her entire life. Almost immediately, Danielle slammed her eyes shut and buried her face into Jasper's neck, her arms tightening to the point that she would've cut off his air supply had he still been human. The wind whipped past them, whistling loudly in her ears as Jasper raced forward like a jet that had just taken flight. She suddenly had an idea of what it must have felt like for Wile E. Coyote anytime he had strapped himself to an acme rocket to try to catch the Road Runner. In this scenario, she was the Coyote and Jasper was the rocket, and she could only hope now that when it was all said and done, she'd have much better luck with the landing than the Coyote ever had.

It could've been seconds or it could have been _minutes_ , Danielle wasn't sure, but eventually Jasper stopped running, and to be so still again when they had just been moving so quickly made her momentarily feel weightless. For one small second, Danielle wondered if Jasper had accidently propelled them straight off the face of the planet, and wondered if when she opened her eyes, she'd find that they were floating around amongst the twinkling stars of outer space. But, finally, the sounds of tweeting birds and a rushing river reached her ears, which told her that they were still very much on Earth. Cracking an eye open, she took a look around, noticing that they were standing between the edge of the forest and the bank of a river.

"Are you alright?" Jasper asked. He sounded perfectly normal, not even the least bit exerted, as if they'd merely just been taking a leisurely stroll rather than running at incredible speeds.

Danielle slowly lifted her head and took a moment to mentally assess herself. She was slightly lightheaded, her ears were ringing a bit, and her limbs felt a little like jelly, but she still had all her body parts and she was still alive. "Yeah, I think so," she said slowly.

Jasper released his hold on her knees so that her legs were no longer clamped against his sides. She slid down to the ground and unwound her arms from his neck, but the moment her feet touched solid earth her legs gave out on her. Jasper turned so quickly she didn't even see it happen, his hands planting on her waist to keep her from falling. Danielle braced herself on his shoulders and closed her eyes, taking a few steady breaths. When she felt better she opened her eyes again, only to feel dizzy for an entirely new reason when she saw Jasper's handsome face only inches from her own.

Jasper stared down at her, his eyes searching hers. "Do you want to sit?" he asked.

Danielle nodded, and with that Jasper wrapped an arm around her waist and led her over to a tree trunk that had long since fallen over. He helped her sit down on the slightly damp log, then eased down next to her, sitting so close that his knee touched hers. Danielle shrugged off the backpack still hanging from her back, then ran a hand over her curls, which felt wild and frizzy from being blown about so fiercely.

"Well," Danielle said once she could locate her voice again. "That was…interesting."

Jasper smirked. "Did you enjoy it?"

Danielle gave him a look, then shook her head. "Not really," she said honestly, which made him chuckle. "I think it would've been a lot worse if I'd had my eyes open, though, so there's that."

"It was your first time. I'm sure it was disorienting," Jasper said understandingly. "Give it a few more tries. I'm certain it'll get easier after a while," he added reassuringly.

Danielle tried not to think about the fact that they'd have to run again later when it was time to go home, choosing instead to focus on the sound of the river that was flowing past them. She then began to look around, taking in the beautiful sights of the park around them. The air felt clean and fresh here, and the sounds of the river combined with the gently sound of the trees swaying in the wind was very calming. For a moment she was almost disappointed with herself for not coming here sooner, especially considering how close it was to home. But then she looked at Jasper, and she was glad to have come to such a pretty place with _him._

"It's nice here," she said, feeling a bit more normal now that she'd had time to sit and collect herself.

Jasper nodded in agreement. "It can be difficult to find privacy at home, so I like to come out here to think and be by myself," he told her.

"I can see why," Danielle said with a nod. "Do you hunt here as well?" she then asked.

Jasper shook his head. "No. There's too great of a risk that humans might be nearby, which would be…catastrophic," he explained with a small wince. "We try to stick to places where humans don't normally go, so as to avoid any _accidents_."

Danielle had to admit that part of her was morbidly curious to see what Jasper looked like while he was hunting. But she knew, without even having to ask, he would never let her witness it. So she didn't bother asking, and instead gave him a curious look. "Where do you normally hunt, then?" she inquired.

Jasper shrugged. "We go all over," he told her. "We have to be careful not to impact the natural environment too greatly. We usually stick to areas where there's plenty of deer or elk to hunt, or where we've heard reports that there's an overpopulation of predators," he explained.

"So then where did you go hunting last weekend?" Danielle asked.

"Goat Rocks Wilderness," he answered. "There's plenty of grizzly bears up there. They're Emmett's favorite to hunt, especially when they're fresh out of hibernation," he said with a small smirk. "He finds a lot of joy in wrestling around with angry bears."

Danielle blinked in astonishment, then looked back out toward the river, her mind racing as she tried to imagine Emmett, her big, sarcastic, goofball of a friend, in a wrestling match with a grizzly bear. "That's unbelievable," she muttered with a shake of her head. Frowning with uncertainty, she turned her eyes back to Jasper. "They can't _hurt_ you?"

Jasper shook his head. "There's very little in the world that can hurt us," he told her. "Bears, wolves, mountain lions…they may be strong, but their claws and their teeth can't penetrate our skin, which means they can't do us any real harm," he explained. "Neither can bullets or knives. Or backpacks," he added, his eyes flashing with amusement.

Danielle instantly cringed at the memory of that morning, before giving him a look. "You just _had_ to bring it up," she muttered with a huff.

Jasper chuckled. "I couldn't resist," he said told. "It's not every day that an angry human tries to beat me up, you know."

Danielle shook her head, trying to fight back the smile that threatened to break free. There was something about Jasper being amused that was incredibly infectious, which probably was partly due to his special power. Whether he meant to influence her or not, it was still hard for her to not want to smile or laugh along with him.

"It wasn't my _plan_ to beat you up," she said in her own defense. "It just sort of…happened."

"I'm not angry about it," Jasper assured her. He reached over and took hold of her hand, his thumb rubbing along her knuckles and his eyes peering down at their joined hands as if fascinated by the perfect way they fit together. When he looked up at her, he smiled in a way that made her nerves crackle with awareness. "I'm glad it happened actually," he admitted. "If you hadn't knocked some sense into me, we might not be sitting here together now."

Danielle sucked in a breath, then gave him a small smile. "Well, then I'll be sure to use the same tactic the next time you decide to ignore me then," she joked.

Jasper shook his head. "There won't be a next time," he said seriously, his tone laced with promise. "Ignoring you was a mistake. And that's one mistake I don't intend to make again."

Danielle smiled happily, lacing her fingers with his and squeezing his hand. "That's very good to know."

Jasper smiled back, before clearing his throat and shaking his head. "We're getting a little off track," he said. "What questions do you have for me? I'm sure there's quite a bit more you'd like to know."

Danielle nodded in confirmation, then turned on the log so that she was facing him a little more fully. Jasper did the same, but he did not let go of her hand, which was more than alright with her. "How old are you?" she asked, blurting out the first question that came to mind.

Jasper hesitated before answering. "I've been walking this earth for one hundred and sixty-two years," he revealed slowly, which made her eyes go very wide. "I lived for about twenty years as a human, like you. But I've been _this_ , a _vampire_ , since eighteen sixty-three," he then told her.

Danielle _definitely_ needed a moment to let that one soak in. Jasper, _her_ Jasper, the beautiful creature sitting in front of her who barely looked a day older than herself, was over _a century and half old_. She could only imagine all that he had learned and experienced in such a large amount of time, and the thought of that suddenly made her feel incredibly young and inexperienced next to him.

"Wow," Danielle finally said. "So then wait," she said as she was hit with a realization. "Your obsession with the Civil War. Is it because – ?"

"I lived through it?" Jasper interjected. "Yes," he confirmed. "I joined the Confederate Army when I was seventeen. I was technically too young to join at the time, but even when I was a human, I was very… _persuasive._ I lied about my age and was able to join. I spent the next few years working my way through the ranks until I was the youngest Major in the Texas army," he told her.

"Did you fight in a lot of battles?" she asked with interest.

She thought she saw something in Jasper's eyes shift at that question, though she wasn't sure why. "Yes, I've fought in many battles," he told her. "But I'd rather not discuss those right now, if you don't mind," he gently requested.

Danielle immediately nodded. "Yeah, of course," she said. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

Jasper nodded gratefully. "Thank you." He went quiet for a moment, his eyes turning down to their joined hands again as his thumb traced patterns over the top of her hand. "It doesn't bother you?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers again. He seemed a bit self-conscious all of a sudden. "Me being so… _old?"_

"No," Danielle said. "I think it's _fascinating_! I mean...just _think_ of all the things you lived through," she said with wonderment. "You got to watch the world advance to what it is today. When you were born, there weren't cars or phones or electricity. _Nothing_. You got to witness _all_ of that coming to life first hand," she said with amazement. "You lived through history changing wars. You got to experience the Roaring Twenties. You were around when men went to the moon for the first time and when Woodstock happened. Hell, you were there for _Beatle Mania_!" she exclaimed. Then a thought occurred to her, which made her squeeze his hand with excitement. " _Please_ tell me you saw the Beatles in concert while they were still together," she said.

Jasper smiled a bit, then shook his head. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but going to concerts wasn't exactly on my list of priorities back then," he told her.

Danielle gaped at him with incredulity. "So you _didn't_ see the Beatles?" Jasper shook his head. "What about Janis Joplin? Freddy Mercury? The Doors? _Elvis_?"

"No to all, I'm afraid," Jasper answered, which made Danielle shake her head with disappointment. "In theory, going to a concert _sounds_ like a good idea. But when you're a vampire whose trying very hard to _not_ harm humans, it's behooves one's self _not_ to attend functions where they might find themselves packed in confined spaces with thousands of excited humans," he explained.

Danielle immediately made a sound of understanding. "That makes a _lot_ of sense actually." Jasper smiled at her and nodded. "Okay," Danielle said next, taking a moment to think about what she wanted to ask him next. "So I know that you can control emotions and that you run ridiculously fast," she said. "What else can you do?"

"Well, I'm very strong," he told her.

"How strong?" Danielle countered.

Jasper looked at the trees surrounding them. "I could uproot one of these trees and throw it across that river if I wanted to," he told her, which made her look at the large, old trees with amazement. Part of her wanted to ask him to do it, just because she wanted to see it, but then she remembered that other people could be around and that it wouldn't be a good idea if they saw Jasper throwing trees around. "I've picked up cars. I've smashed through buildings. I've thrown boulders," Jasper continued. "Humans don't possess even a _fraction_ of the strength that vampires do, which is why I have to be very careful with _you_ ," he told her seriously, his expression going a bit grave. "It would be very easy for me to seriously injure you, or _worse_. I have to always make sure I'm _completely_ in control of everything that I do when I'm with you."

Danielle nodded her understanding, then reached up with her free hand and touched his cheek. Jasper's eyes closed, a tiny sigh if contentment escaping his perfect lips. "I've already said it, but I'll say it again. I _trust_ you, Jasper," she told him. "And I know you won't hurt me."

Jasper just nodded silently, his eyes staying closed as he leaned into her hand. Danielle started to pull her hand away, but froze when Jasper reached up to place his hand over hers, leaving her with no choice but to keep it on his cheek. "Let me enjoy this a moment longer," he said. "You have no idea how wonderful it feels to be touched by you."

Danielle smiled, feeling her heart skip a beat. "Actually, I think I _do_ have an idea," she said quietly. "I'd imagine it feels just as good as when _you_ touch _me_."

Jasper finally opened his eyes, and when she saw the smoldering look in his eyes, her breath immediately caught in her throat. She thought he might kiss her again, but instead, he just cleared his throat and gently took her hand off his cheek. Now both of his hands were holding both of hers. "Ask me another question," he encouraged.

Danielle nodded slowly, then forced herself to focus so she could think of something else to ask him. "You and Rosalie aren't really twins, are you?"

"No," Jasper confirmed. "It was Carlisle's idea to try to pass us off as twins. He thought it would make our story more believable."

Danielle made a sound of understanding. "Speaking of Carlisle, how long have you been with the Cullen's for now?" she asked.

"Since nineteen fifty," he answered. "I was in the south for a very long time. I eventually became very discontent with my life there and ended up leaving in the late nineteen thirties," he began to explain. "I started to travel around in search of a better way of life, moving from place to place and slowly working my way north. About ten years later, I finally ran into Alice in Philadelphia. She told me about the Cullen's and how she had seen us joining Carlisle and the others. We spent the next few years searching for them, until we finally found them. We've been with Carlisle and the others ever since."

"She _saw_ you joining the Cullen's?" Danielle repeated uncertainly. "What do you mean by that?"

"Alice has visions of the future," Jasper revealed, which made her brows shoot up to her hairline. "They aren't exact, and they are subject to change, but it's a useful talent nonetheless," he said. "It's kept us protected for a very long time now."

"Wow," Danielle said, stunned. "Visions of the future." Jasper nodded. "Just out of curiosity, has she had any visions about _me_?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

Jasper got that same look in his eye, the one that he had gotten when she'd asked him about his participation in battle. It seemed like this was another question he didn't want to answer. "Perhaps one or two," he answered evasively.

Danielle quirked a brow. "And I don't suppose you want to tell me about them, do you?" she asked.

Jasper shook his head. "Not at the moment, no," he confessed.

Danielle was burning with curiosity now, eager to know what Alice had seen. But It was clear Jasper wasn't going to tell her anything – not _today_ anyway – so she decided to drop the subject for the time being.

They sat there in silence for a moment, until a new question came to Danielle's mind, one that she wasn't entirely sure she actually wanted to know the answer to. Finally, she decided to just ask. "So…you and Alice travelled together for a while?" she asked, which made Jasper nod in confirmation. "And you guys were never…you know… _together_?" she pried hesitantly.

Jasper smiled, then shook his head. "No," he answered. "Alice is a very great friend to me and she's helped me in many ways. But that's the extent of our relationship," he explained. "She is very much a sister to me."

Danielle felt a little relieved to hear it, but there was more she wanted to know. "What about when you were a human?" she asked. "Were you married then?" She hoped he would say no, but told herself not to be surprised if he said yes. Back then, people married much earlier than they did now. And even if he _had_ had a wife, it wouldn't change anything between them now.

But Jasper shook his head again. "My memories from my time as a human are rather hazy at this point, but I do remember that I did _not_ have a wife."

Now Danielle finally relaxed, comforted by the knowledge that Jasper had never had a wife. He quirked a brow at her, and she had a feeling he could sense how happy she felt to hear that answer. It made her blush, which made him smirk. "So what else is there to cover?" she asked quickly to change the subject.

"You tell me," he said, still smirking. "You're the one asking the questions."

"Hmmm," Danielle hummed, taking a few moments to consider everything they had talked about so far. "What about all those vampire myths?" she asked. "Are y'all allergic to garlic and crucifixes and holy water?"

Jasper looked like he was fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Completely fake," he told her.

"And what about sunlight?" Danielle asked. "What happens when you're in the sun?"

"We don't burn, if that's what you're alluding to," he answered pointedly.

"I know that already," she countered. "But I also know that _something_ happens, otherwise you wouldn't have skipped school when it was sunny out at the beginning of the week," she said knowingly. "So what happens?"

Jasper sighed and glanced up toward the sky, where the sun was completely hidden behind a thick blanket of grey clouds. "If we're in the sun, our skin sort of… _sparkles_ ," he finally told her.

Of everything he could have possibly told her, _that_ was the _last_ thing she was expecting. "You _sparkle_?" she asked with a quirked brow. Jasper nodded. "Like what, a disco ball?"

"Not quite," Jasper said. "It looks a bit like we're made out of millions of tiny diamonds," he corrected, which had her making a sound of wonderment. "There's a reason why we try to stick to places like Forks. Living in places where the sun doesn't come out very much makes it easier to keep up the façade of being a normal family."

"Wow," Danielle said. "Will you show me sometime?" she asked eagerly.

Jasper nodded. "The next time the weather is nice, I'll let you see what I look like." Danielle smiled happily, hoping she wouldn't have to wait _too_ long for another sunny day. "There's one more vampire myth you have asked me about," Jasper pointed out. "Aren't you going to ask me if a sleep in a coffin?" he then inquired, his head tilting curiously.

"I already know you don't, because Bella told me you don't sleep," Danielle said, which made him nod slowly. "Is it annoying, though? Not being able to sleep?" she asked.

Jasper shrugged a shoulder. "I've gotten used to it. Though in recent months it _has_ become a bit more tedious than usual," he confessed. "I believe that it's due in large part to the fact that I now spend my nights counting the minutes until I can see _you_ again."

Danielle instantly grinned, her cheeks flushing pink in response to his words. "You miss me that much when we're not together?"

"I believe the word _miss_ is a serious understatement," Jasper told her honestly.

Danielle couldn't stop her heart from swelling with adoration for the vampire sitting in front of her in response to his statement. She knew that Jasper had felt it, too, because his eyes went a shade darker as he released one of her hands and gently caressed her cheek. "You're making it very hard _not_ to kiss you right now," he told her, his voice going a bit gravelly.

Her lips instantly tingled at the thought of having his lips on hers again. "And you're trying _not_ to kiss me because…?" she asked.

"We're supposed to be talking right now, remember?" he reminded her. "And if I kiss you, I can't guarantee I'll be able to _stop_ kissing you." Danielle just sucked in a deep breath, her eyes dropping down to his lips for a moment. Jasper exhaled heavily, then dropped his hand from her face so that he could grab her hand again. "Keep asking me questions," he instructed.

It took her a few seconds to get her brain back on track and to push past the overwhelming urge to kiss him. Once she could think clearly again, she realized she hadn't asked him a very important question and gave him a curious look. "You know what you haven't told me about? You haven't told me _how_ you were turned into a vampire."

In an instant, the yearning look in Jasper's eyes disappeared and his expression became very grim. She could tell that she had breached another topic that he was not comfortable discussing. "And I'd rather _not_ tell you about that," he told her with a firm shake of his head. "Not today, anyway."

Danielle pressed her lips together, but nodded in understanding. "Alright," she agreed, wondering if his reluctance to tell her about his transition into vampirism meant that something very bad had happened to him. She sincerely hoped that wasn't the case, simply because she didn't want to think about _anything_ bad happening to Jasper.

Another silence passed between them, but it wasn't a particularly comfortable one. Jasper stared down at their clasped hands, his lips pulled down into a bit of a frown, which led her to assume that her question had dredged up old memories that Jasper didn't particularly like to reflect on. Danielle sucked in a deep breath, then released it heavily. The mood around them felt very solemn now, and she wanted to change that. They had been having a nice conversation so far, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"So if _vampires_ are real, what _else_ is out there?" she asked him to change the subject.

Jasper shifted his gaze up to hers, his brows furrowing together. "What do you mean?"

"Well, like…are there _leprechauns_ just running loose over in Ireland?" she asked him.

Jasper seemed taken aback by her question, then smirked a bit, the somberness in his eyes quickly shifting to one of amusement. He seemed to understand that she was trying to lighten the mood. "It's possible, I suppose. Though if they _are_ real, I've never seen one."

"What about the Loch Ness Monster?" Danielle asked next.

"I think a drunken Scotsman fabricated that one," Jasper answered with a shake of his head.

Danielle smirked, then raised her brows. "How about Big Foot?"

"That one actually _is_ real," he said, which made her look at him with surprise. "Big Foot was Emmett, _before_ he shaved all of his fur off," he then told her.

Danielle immediately burst out laughing, which made Jasper laugh too. "Oh my god!" she said between laughs. "You know I'm gonna have to call him Big Foot from here on out, right?"

"I hope you do," Jasper said with a hearty chuckle. They laughed a little bit longer, but eventually sobered up again. They were both still grinning with amusement, though. "Any other mythical creatures you'd like me to debunk?" he asked.

Danielle suddenly thought about Jacob Black and the stories he'd told Bella about his people. Her grin faded into a look of uncertainty. "Werewolves?" she asked hesitantly.

Jasper's grin faded, too. "I'm afraid those are _not_ a myth," he said seriously.

Danielle gulped. "So now would probably be a bad time to mention that I used to have a crippling fear of werewolves when I was a kid, huh?"

Jasper smiled reassuringly and squeezed her hands. "You don't have to worry about that, Danielle," he said. "I've been around for a very long time and I have never once encountered a werewolf. Most of them are extinct by now, from what I understand. Besides, if there _were_ any around these parts in particular, rest assured that _those_ wolves wouldn't be coming after _you_. Vampires are their enemies, not humans."

Danielle frowned at that, her heart jumping with fear at the thought of a werewolf trying to attack Jasper. "Yeah, that doesn't make me feel much better. I don't want any werewolves going after _you_ either," she said in a worried tone.

"Like I said, there's nothing to worry about," he repeated. "There aren't any around here. There haven't been for a very long time, and I doubt there will be any time soon."

Danielle looked at him for a long moment, trying to determine if he was telling her the truth or if he was just saying that so she wouldn't worry. After finally deciding that Jasper wasn't lying to her, she sighed and nodded her head. "Alright," she conceded. "If you say it's not an issue, then I believe you."

"Good." Jasper then tilted his head curiously. "This crippling childhood fear…was it exclusively for werewolves, or did it extend to vampires, as well?" he asked.

Danielle shook her head. "I was actually never afraid of vampires," she admitted honestly.

"And you're still not now?" he asked next hesitantly. "Not even after everything I've told you?"

Danielle smiled and shook her head again. "I mean, is it a little crazy to find out that my ridiculously good-looking vampire boyfriend is a one hundred and sixty-two year old Civil War veteran and is also super fast, super strong, and has special, emotion-controlling powers? Yeah, it is," she admitted with a nod. "But that certainly doesn't make me _afraid_ of you."

Jasper seemed slightly relieved, but he also looked very curious about something. "You called me your boyfriend," he pointed out, and it sounded like he was kind of weirded out by that.

Danielle frowned. "Should I _not_?" she asked unsurely.

"You can," Jasper said, which made her instantly relax. "It's just…a little strange," he then admitted. "I've never been anyone's _boyfriend_ before," he said, the word _'boyfriend'_ coming out uncertainly, as if it was a foreign word he wasn't entirely sure how to pronounce.

"Well. I've never been anyone's _girlfriend_ before," she confessed. "So we're in the same boat."

Jasper quirked a disbelieving brow. "I find that very hard to believe," he said. When Danielle just shrugged, he scoffed and shook his head. "Were the males in your previous school blind, or were they just _imbeciles?"_ he asked incredulously.

"Oh, they were definitely idiots," Danielle confirmed. "Some of them _tried_ to date me, but I just was never really interested enough to be with any of them," she explained. "You're the only one I've ever _really_ wanted to be with, Jasper," she admitted with a shrug and a small smile.

The incredulity in Jasper's eyes instantly turned into genuine confusion. "Why me?" he asked with interest, as if he still couldn't fully understand what it was that she saw in him.

Danielle squeezed his hands. "Well, for starters, you're a great guy and you're smart and you make me laugh. It doesn't hurt that you're absolutely _gorgeous,_ either," she added with an appreciative look. "I can't seem to find one thing wrong with you…aside from your _terrible_ taste in music, of course," she said with a teasing smile. Jasper just gave her a look in return. "All joking aside, though," Danielle continued, her expression more serious now. "I feel more comfortable with you than I do with anyone else. Being with you just feels… _right_." Danielle smiled at him, her eyes shining with adoration. "No one has ever made me feel as happy as _you_ do, Jasper. I'm completely, one hundred percent, head over heels for you."

Jasper stared back at her in silence, his gaze intense as he processed everything she had said to him. He finally gulped and then raised a hand to her face again, his thumb gently tracing the line of her cheekbone. "What did I do to deserve you?" he mused aloud.

Danielle smiled at him as she leaned into his touch. "That's funny," she said quietly. "I keep asking myself the same question about _you_."

Jasper smiled a bit, but his gaze didn't lose an ounce of its intensity. "Someday, I'll sit you down and try to find the proper words to explain to you just how much you mean to me," he told her seriously. "But right now, I feel like I might actually implode if I don't kiss you," he said, his darkened gaze dropping to her lips.

Danielle's heart leapt up into her throat. "So kiss me then," she urged.

Jasper didn't need to be told twice. He leaned forward, capturing her lips in a kiss that instantly made her toes curl. She made a sound of pleasure and slid her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling into his soft, blonde hair as he slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her a bit harder. A shiver raced down her spine as Jasper moaned, his lips moving with more urgency as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, until she was pressed against his solid chest. A wave of hunger and desire suddenly crashed into her, making her gasp in surprise. He took advantage of the moment and deepened the kiss, his cold tongue brushing over her bottom lip before seeking hers out hungrily. Danielle whimpered as fire raged through her, feeling overwhelmed by the onslaught of feelings that Jasper had brought to life within. Jasper growled in answer, his hands sliding into her hair as his mouth claimed hers possessively.

Suddenly Jasper was gone, and the abrupt loss of contact made Danielle immediately fall over and land on the ground with a small ' _oof_ '. She was so dazed from their fiery kiss that she could only blink in confusion, having no idea what had just happened or why she was now sitting on the cold, wet dirt. Finally, she was able to think straight again and looked around, wondering just where Jasper had gone to and why he had disappeared so unexpectedly. She soon spotted him right by the edge of this forest, standing with his back to her and his hands braced against a tree trunk.

"Jasper?" she called uncertainly.

"Just…give me a moment," he said back, his voice sounding unsteady.

Danielle pressed her lips together, ignoring how swollen they felt from Jasper's kiss, then slowly climbed to her feet again. She brushed the dirt off of her pants, then ran a hand through her hair to get it back in order, just knowing it was probably sticking out in every which direction. She glanced toward Jasper again, who still had his back to her, then turned to walk closer to the river, thinking it might be good for him if she gave him as much space as possible.

Once she was standing on the bank of the river, she wrapped her arms around herself, watching the water rush by. She started to lean down and grab a small rock to throw into the water, but when she caught a glimpse of some fish swimming just under the surface, she changed her mind, thinking it would be a little mean if she were to accidently knock one of those poor, unsuspecting fish out. Instead, she turned her eyes upward, watching the trees sway in the wind. The cool breeze felt good against her heated skin, made it easier to think straight.

A hand on her back made her jump a bit. She glanced over to see that Jasper was standing next to her again, though she hadn't even heard him approaching. She half expected his eyes to be dark, but they were that usual, pretty amber color that they always were. And currently, as he peered back at her, they were full of apology.

"I'm sorry," he said with a heavy sigh. "I let myself get too carried away. I needed to step away and…collect myself." He frowned with uncertainty, his eyes filled with worry. "Are you angry?"

Danielle sighed and gave him a small smile. "If I were angry, you'd feel it," she said pointedly. Jasper nodded, but still seemed a bit unconvinced. Danielle turned to face him and grabbed both of his hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "This is all still very new, Jasper. I'm not expecting you to be completely alright with being close to me right off the bat," she told him. "If we need to slow things down a bit, then that's totally fine."

Her reassuring words seemed to placate him. "Thank you for understanding," he said.

"Of course," Danielle said with a nod and a smile.

Jasper looked at her for another moment, then used his grip on her hands to pull her closer. He didn't kiss her again, but he did wrap his arms around her and hug her securely to his chest. Danielle sighed and slid her arms around this waist leaning into his embrace acceptingly and resting her head against his strong chest. It was a bit unnerving not to hear a heartbeat underneath her ear, but she felt so safe and so content in his arms that she quickly forgot to care. When Jasper kissed the top of her head and then rested his chin there, she smiled contentedly to herself.

"Is this okay?" Danielle asked, just to make sure.

Jasper tightened his arms around her just a little, as if he was afraid she might try to pull away. "Yes," he answered immediately. "I'm perfectly in control now," he assured her.

They stood that way for a long while, just holding one another in content silence as they listened to the sound of the river trickling by only feet away. Eventually Jasper lifted his chin from her head, which made Danielle pull her head away from his chest so she could peer up at him.

"We've been out here for a while," Jasper pointed out. "Are you ready to go home, or do you want to stay a little longer?"

She knew, without even having to think about it, that she wasn't ready to say goodbye to Jasper yet. Not with how wonderfully everything was going. "Let's stay a little longer," she encouraged. "After all, I've never been here before," she added, glancing pointedly at the nearby forest. "Why don't we explore a bit?"

Jasper seemed pleased with the fact that she wasn't ready to go yet. "Sounds like a wonderful idea."

They shared a smile, then finally let go of one another and stepped out of the comfortable embrace they'd been sharing. Jasper grabbed her hand and linked his fingers with hers. They walked back toward the tree line, pausing by the log they'd sat on earlier to collect her backpack, then disappeared down the winding path that led back into the forest.

They stayed at the park for another hour or so, just walking around hand in hand and talking comfortably with another as they took in the beautiful scenery. Eventually, however, it began to drizzle, the first warning of a quickly approaching storm, which made them finally decide to call it a day.

As unhappy as she was to know that her afternoon with Jasper was coming to an end, she was even _less_ thrilled when she remembered just how they would be traveling back to her house. As she once again climbed onto Jasper's back and wrapped her limbs around him in a vice grip, she told herself that it would be easier the second time around, that she'd be able to handle it better now that she knew exactly what to expect. But, unfortunately, that didn't end up being the case. As Jasper shot off like a rocket again, she instantly tensed and buried her face into his neck again, feeling like she was on an impossibly fast rollercoaster. She clung to Jasper for dear life, concentrating on breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, refusing to open her eyes. She could have sang with relief when they finally stopped.

Danielle gave Jasper a sour look as she climbed down from his back to stand on her own two feet. Her legs were wobbly again, which meant he had to keep supportive hands on her waist to keep her from buckling to the ground.

"Next time we go somewhere together, we're _driving,_ " she said firmly, trying to ignore the queasiness in her stomach.

Jasper smirked, looking as though he was trying hard to hide his own amusement. "You sure you don't want to try to get used to running?" he asked with just the tiniest hint of teasing.

" _Positive_ ," she said, making sure to stress how serious she was about her dislike of running.

Jasper laughed, then nodded in agreement. "Alright, we'll put running in the back burner for now," he told her. "Can you walk? Or do you need another moment?"

Danielle quickly assessed herself, then nodded. "I'm good now."

Jasper released her waist, grabbed her hand, and then they set off. She realized as they emerged from the forest they'd just been in that they were at the end of her street. They walked quickly toward her house, their clothes beginning to feel damp as the raindrops grew fatter and began to fall quicker. They finally reached her porch and hurried up the stairs, so that they were under the protective covering of the roof and out of the rain. Danielle didn't immediately go to the door, though. Instead, she looked across the street, her gaze bypassing Bella's red truck, which had been returned to its usual spot at the curb, and instead landing on a familiar Volvo. Edward's car was still parked in the driveway of the Swan house, though she couldn't tell if Edward and Bella were still inside, or if they had gone into the house.

"They're talking," Jasper said, his eyes following her gaze.

Danielle nodded, then finally turned and went to the front door to unlock it. She opened the door and tossed her backpack inside, before turning back to Jasper. "Do you wanna come inside for a bit?" she asked. "My mom won't be home for a few more hours."

Jasper looked into the house as he considered her offer, before he eventually shook his head. "I'd better not," he gently declined. "I think I've tested my limits enough for one day."

Danielle forced herself not to feel disappointed and nodded in understanding. "Alright. Any chance you'll come to pick me up for school tomorrow?" she then asked hopefully. She didn't want to have to wait until she arrived at school to see him again – she wanted to see him as quickly as possible.

"Actually, you need to drive Bella's truck to school tomorrow," Jasper told her. "But I can ride with Edward in the morning when he comes to get Bella, then you and I can take the truck together if you'd like," he then offered.

Danielle made a face of curiosity. "Why do I _need_ to drive Bella's truck tomorrow?" she asked.

"Because Edward and I are leaving school early tomorrow," he revealed. "And if you both ride with us, you won't have any way to get home after we've left."

Danielle's frown of disappointment was immediate. "Wait, what?" she asked, not liking the sound of Jasper leaving early one single bit. "Why are you leaving early?"

Jasper smirked, though, looking amused by her reaction. "We're going hunting for the night," he said. "Just in case you've forgotten, you and I are going to a dance on Saturday," he reminded her. "It seems like a wise idea to do a bit of extra hunting, that way my thirst won't get in the way of what I _hope_ will be a very delightful evening."

 _The dance._ It had been such a strange couple of days that Danielle had _completely_ forgotten about the Spring Fling, though she wasn't sure how she had forgotten considering it was all anyone at the school could talk about. "Of course. The dance. _Duh_ ," she said, smacking herself lightly on the forehead. "How could I forget? I bought a dress and everything."

"Did you now?" Jasper asked, his brows lifting. He smirked a bit, his eyes lighting with interest. "Any chance you'll tell me what said dress looks like?"

Danielle smiled sweetly and shook her head. "Nope," she denied. "I think I'll just let you be surprised."

Jasper sighed. "Very well, then," he said with defeat. "I _suppose_ I can wait."

"I'm sure you'll survive," Danielle said with a chuckle.

Jasper smiled at her for a moment, then stepped closer. "I should go now, while I've still got the willpower to do so." Jasper grabbed her hand, then raised it to his lips to press a lingering kiss to her knuckles, his eyes peering intently into hers over the top of her hand. She would have preferred to feel his lips against her own, but after that little moment at the park, she knew it was probably for the better that he didn't kiss her. "Have a good night tonight, Danielle," he said.

Danielle honestly couldn't imagine how she _wouldn't_ have a good night. "You too, Jasper," she said breathlessly, unconsciously leaning into him as his gaze continued to hold hers.

"I'll see you in the morning," Jasper then said.

Danielle nodded, then, as Jasper finally, _reluctantly,_ released her hand, she stepped through the open doorway into her house. She took her time shutting the door, closing it slowly so that she could look at Jasper's handsome face for as long as possible. He stood there smiling back at her, clearly in no rush to leave while she was still within sight, raising a large, pale hand to wave at her in parting. Finally, with one last goodbye, Danielle shut the door. In the second it took her to move to the peephole and look through it, Jasper was already gone.

* * *

It wasn't just a good night for Danielle after that – it was a _fantastic_ night.

Homework was a challenge, simply because she kept losing focus and frequently caught herself doodling the letters _J & D_ and drawing hearts around them. When she finally finished, though, she spent the rest of the time until her mother came home blaring every love song she'd ever known, using various household objects as microphones to belt out the slower tunes, then dancing around like a maniac to the faster paced ones. Even when Lynne finally came home from work, Danielle still couldn't reign in her happiness. She greeted her mother at the door with a big hug and a loud smooch on the cheek, then ushered her into the kitchen, where she'd already set out a plate of dinner and a glass of wine for her mother to enjoy.

They sat down for dinner, where Danielle did most of the talking. She chatted away about anything that came to mind, practically bouncing in her seat as she rapidly jumped from topic to topic. Lynne tried to keep up with the conversation, but spent most of the time laughing at Danielle's enthusiasm and eyeing her with curiosity, as if trying to figure out just what exactly had put her in such a good mood.

When dinner was over and it was time to clean the kitchen, Danielle insisted on taking care of the dirty dishes and turned on the music again, smiling widely and singing along with the songs that floated through the speakers of the kitchen radio. Lynne apparently couldn't hold back her questions any longer, however, and turned down the radio before coming to stand next to Danielle, who was washing dishes at the sink. When Danielle looked over at her, Lynne was giving her a knowing look.

"Alright, Dani," she said. "What in the _world_ has gotten into you tonight? I have _never_ seen you act like this! What are you so happy about?" she demanded to know.

Danielle tried to hold back her smile, but failed. "I suppose if I just told you it had been a really good day you wouldn't accept that as an answer, would you?" she asked in return.

"Absolutely not," Lynne confirmed.

Danielle nodded, then turned off the water and dried her hands on a towel. She then turned to face Lynne, figuring she might as well just go ahead and tell her mother the good news. "Remember how I told you things with Jasper were complicated? And how we were kind of not getting along?" she asked. Lynne nodded at once. "Well, today we had a really, _really_ long talk about everything."

Lynne's brows shot up, her gaze turning expectant. " _And_?" she prompted eagerly.

"And…Jasper is now officially my boyfriend," Danielle revealed with a huge grin.

Lynne clasped her hands together, then squealed with excitement. "Oh, honey!" she exclaimed, before pulling Danielle in for a tight hug. Danielle hugged her back just as tightly, unable to help laughing happily as they swayed side to side for a moment. "That's so wonderful!" Lynne said, pulling back and bracing her hands on Danielle's shoulders. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, Mom," Danielle said, her face almost beginning to hurt from smiling so much.

Lynne patted her shoulders, then crossed her arms over her chest. "I should have _known_ this had something to do with Jasper," she commented with a shake of her head. "Well? Don't hold back!" she then urged. "Tell me what happened!"

Danielle hesitated as she tried to think of what she should tell her mother. Obviously telling her that Jasper was a vampire was completely out of the question, but she didn't want to stray _too_ far from the truth, otherwise she'd wind up getting caught in a lie at some point or another.

"It started when Jasper and I kinda had a disagreement this morning," she finally said, leaving out the fact that she'd attempted to smack him around a little. "He's been a little difficult recently, so I got angry with him and gave him a piece of my mind. At lunch, he finally pulled me aside and basically just spilled his guts. He said that he cared about me a lot, but was afraid to move our relationship past friendship because he was worried he'd mess things up and lose me. I then told him I was crazy about him and that I wanted to be with him and that I wasn't gonna let him push me away just because he was scared. Then we decided that we were going to give things a shot," she summarized.

None of what she had said was a lie, but it certainly wasn't the whole truth either. Lynne remained none the wiser that Danielle was omitting information, however, and nodded in understanding. "See? I told you," she said with a smile. "You two just needed to talk! Communication is the key to _everything,_ " she repeated, referring got he advice shed given Danielle earlier that week.

"You were right. It is," Danielle agreed.

"So everything is good now?" Lynne asked for clarification. "You've worked out all of those _complications_ that were bugging you?"

Danielle nodded. "Yeah. Everything is good. More than good, actually," she said reassuringly.

Lynne suddenly smiled wickedly and wagged her eyebrows. "Did he _kiss_ you?"

Danielle blushed at once. "Mom!"

"What?" Lynne said, holding her hands up in defense. "It's just a _question!"_ She paused, then wagged her brows again. "So did he?" she persisted.

Danielle shook her head in exasperation, but finally caved and told her the truth. "Yes, he did," she revealed, a smile stretching across her lips again. "And it was _amazing_."

"Were there fireworks?" Lynne asked with a smile.

"Fireworks, angel choirs, marching bands, confetti…the whole nine yards," Danielle confirmed, her expression going a bit dreamy as she remembered the two incredible kisses they'd shared. Danielle sighed happily, certain she _looked_ just as sappy and love-struck as she _felt_. "I'm _so_ happy, Mom," she said. "Jasper is just so sweet and wonderful and _amazing_. He's honestly the _best_ thing that's ever happened to me. I just…feel like I'm in a dream or something. I can't believe I got this lucky."

Lynne suddenly had a calculating look in her eye as she peered at Danielle. Her eyes searched Danielle's face for a long few seconds, as if she was looking for some hidden message somewhere. Finally, her eyes lit with realization. "Oh my goodness, Dani. I _know_ that look that's in your eyes right now," she said, before grinning broadly. "You _love_ him, don't you?"

The question hit her like a punch to the gut, bringing her dreamy thoughts to an abrupt halt. Danielle's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped, her heart launching itself upward into her throat. "What?" she asked incredulously. "What makes you say that?"

"Because I'm your mother, and I know you better than you know yourself," Lynne stated matter-of-factly. "You're _glowing_ , and you've got that tell-tale sparkle in your eye," she pointed out. "And like I've said before, I _see_ the way you look at Jasper. That, combined with everything you just said, well...all signs point to love," she said matter-of-factly.

Danielle shook her head though, feeling overwhelmed all of a sudden. She couldn't _really_ love Jasper, could she? She cared about him very deeply, there was no doubt about that. But _love?_ That was a whole new ballgame.

"But we only _just_ got together!" Danielle reminded Lynne. "And I've only known him for a few months! I _can't_ love Jasper," she insisted. "It's too soon, isn't it?"

"Says who?" Lynne asked pointedly. "I knew I loved your father after our first date together, and I'd only known him for a week at that point," she revealed. "Granted, things with him didn't turn out so well in the end," she admitted with a slight cringe. "But I very much loved him at the time, and there was nothing I could do about that. My heart _chose_ him."

Danielle took a moment to let that sink in, then shook her head. "I've never been in love before, though," she reminded her mother. "How do I even know what it _feels_ like?" she questioned with uncertainty

"Trust me," Lynne countered with light laugh. " _You'll know."_

Danielle didn't know how to respond to that, so she didn't even try.

Lynne stuck around to chat with her for a little while longer, congratulating her again and rejoicing over young love, until she eventually headed off to change out of her work clothes and take a quick shower. Once Danielle was alone, she let out a long breath and went to stand by the window, staring distractedly at the raindrops pattering against the cool glass.

Her mother's words rang in her ears, making her brows furrow with contemplation. Was it true? Was it possible that her mother could have picked up on feelings that even _Danielle_ hadn't yet realized herself? She felt like if she had been in love she would have known it, but then again, she supposed it was possible that she _wouldn't_ have known, too. After all, she hadn't been lying when she had told her mother that she didn't know what it felt like to be in love. She knew what it felt like to care for someone, and she certainly knew what is felt like to love a friend or a family member. But loving someone and being _in_ love with someone were two very different things, and at the end of the day, being _in love_ with someone was unexplored territory for Danielle.

So could it be? Was it possible that her mother was right?

Danielle spent the rest of the night thinking long and hard about Jasper and the way she felt about him. There was no denying that he made her happier than she ever thought she could be. She spent almost every waking moment thinking about him, and almost every _sleeping_ moment _dreaming_ about him. He could send her heart racing with one look or touch, and when he _kissed her_ , well…there were hardly any words to describe it. They were compatible in just about every single way, and the transition of going from being just friends to something much more had felt so easy and natural, it was like they had been _meant_ to be together. And as she thought about past crushes and compared them to how she felt about Jasper, she quickly realized there was no comparison at all. Her feelings for Jasper were far deeper and _infinitely_ stronger than anything she had ever felt before. He had quickly become one of the most important people in her life. And try as she might, she simply couldn't imagine a life that didn't have Jasper in it, nor did she want to.

As the night wore on, realization began to slowly creep into her mind. And by the time she was lying in bed and attempting to go to sleep, she could no longer deny, or ignore, what her heart was suddenly _screaming_ at her.

She was falling in love with Jasper Hale.

* * *

 **Review!**


	13. Chapter Twelve

**First, I want to apologize for the delay between updates. I became focused on some stories I had been neglecting for a long and just didn't have the time to dedicate to this one. I didn't mean for it to be so long, but sometimes that's just how life goes!**

 **Second, thank you to those of you who have been patient with me, and thank you for everyone who is showing support for this story! I appreciate all your kind words more than you know!**

 **Now, since it has been so long, I'm gonna shut up and let you get to the chapter! Hope you enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight!**

* * *

 _Chapter Twelve_

Danielle woke before her alarm the next morning, then could scarcely contain her excitement as she got ready for school as quickly as possible. She flew through her morning routine, then, when she was dressed and presentable, she went to the bedroom window to look outside and see if Jasper and Edward had arrived. They hadn't. Only Bella's truck was parked across the street.

Danielle hurried downstairs to have some breakfast while she waited, feeling just the slightest bit relieved when she discovered that Lynne had already left for work. She had thought that her mother might hang around longer than usual just to see if Jasper showed up at the house to ride with her to school, and seeing as Jasper _was_ coming to the house, Danielle had no doubt that Lynne, who was still giddy over the fact that they were now officially a couple, would have more than likely said or done _something_ to embarrass her in front him. But now that her mother was gone and that was no longer a concern, Danielle relaxed and went to the pantry to grab a bagel to eat.

When she was done eating, she went to collect her jacket and backpack, quickly putting on both, then headed to the window by the front door to keep an eye out for Edward's Volvo. Did she feel a bit like a stalker, staring through a gap in the blinds and waiting with rapidly disappearing patience for Jasper to turn up? Maybe a little. But did she care? Not at all.

When Edward's silver Volvo finally rolled into view and came to a halt in the driveway of the Swan house, Danielle jumped and made a sound of excitement, before quickly moving to the front door to yank it open. Not even a full second had passed since she had left her post at the window, but by the time she had the door completely open, Jasper was already standing on the welcome mat, his eyes glittering with amusement as he smirked back at her.

The moment she saw him, she felt an immediate, overwhelming urge to launch herself into his arms and kiss him until her lips fell off, but she obediently resisted, diligently reminding herself that it might be too much for Jasper to handle if she caught him off guard like that. Instead, she grinned broadly as he held his arms open in invitation, then happily stepped into his affectionate embrace. Danielle sighed contentedly as his strong arms held her tightly to his chest, her own hands clutching at his back as she rested her head on his chest. This was exactly where she had wanted to be all night long, and now that she was in his arms again, she didn't ever want to leave.

"Excited to see me?" he asked with a husky laugh.

Danielle pulled back far enough to be able to look up at him. "What gave it away?" she asked with a grin.

"I could feel it before I even saw you," Jasper stated matter-of-factly. "The squeal I heard when we parked was a pretty large hint, too," he added with a humored smirk.

Danielle's eyes went wide with surprise. "You could _hear_ that?"

Jasper cocked his head to the side. "Did I forget to mention that vampires have incredible hearing?"

She mentally ran through conversation from the previous day, but did not recall him bringing it up. "Yeah, you left that tidbit out," Danielle confirmed.

Suddenly she thought back to times in the past when she had said things about Jasper whilst standing nowhere near him but that he had still reacted to, like, for example, when they had first met and she had told Bella he was a jerk, and how he had seemed to stiffen in response to the insult. She could remember thinking he had just been really good at reading lips – now she knew it was because he had actually been able to hear everything she had said.

"Ah, crap," Danielle said with a cringe. "You heard me call you a jerk the first day we met."

"I did," he confirmed. "And I _was_ a jerk, so I'm not upset about it. I deserved it," he added with a firm nod.

"You heard me defend you when Jessica was talking about you, too," Danielle said next, remembering that day at lunch when she and Jasper had first gotten on good terms with each other and she had jumped to his defense when Jessica said rude things about him. He had said that he had heard about it through rumors, which was obviously not the truth.

"Yes," Jasper said with a smile. "And I'm glad that you did. Until that moment, I wasn't convinced that being friends with you would be a smart idea. I was very intrigued by you, and I wanted to get to know you better, but considering what I am and considering how badly our first meeting had gone, I was afraid that us being friends would be dangerous for you," he admitted. "Once I heard you say those things to Jessica, however, I knew I wouldn't be able to keep my distance. That moment was what gave me the confidence to pursue a friendship with you."

Danielle smiled up at him and hugged him tighter. "Well, thank God for superhuman vampire hearing, then," she said.

Jasper just smiled down at her, then leaned down to so that he could press a kiss to her forehead. He let out a content sigh, his hands smoothing circles over her back. "Last night was _the_ longest night," he murmured, his amber eyes searching her features as if trying to memorize them. "This morning couldn't come fast enough."

Danielle frowned and gave him a look of apology. As rough as it had been being away from him, at least _she_ had been able to sleep and pass the time a bit quicker. Jasper, however, didn't have the same luxury. "I'm sorry. Was it awful, having to wait?"

Jasper smiled and reached a hand up to gently caress the side of her face. "It's nothing I can't handle," he assured her. "And if the reward for my patience is that I can have you in my arms again, it's worth the wait."

Danielle beamed up at him, then closed her eyes with a happy sigh as Jasper pressed another lingering kiss to her forehead. She couldn't help but think about her little revelation from the night before and wonder just how in the _world_ it had taken her so long to realize the true extent of her feelings for Jasper. To feel how happy and giddy and completely over the moon she was now just to be with him again, it was all too obvious that her feelings for him had moved past just _caring_ about him. She could practically _feel_ herself falling in love with him more and more with each passing second.

Jasper suddenly looked surprised, his eyes going a bit wider than normal, which made Danielle give him a curious look in return because she didn't know what had caused him to react that way. "Danielle?" Jasper asked quietly, his eyes peering searchingly into her own. "What were you just thinking about?"

Danielle blinked in confusion, until realization swiftly caught up to her. Jasper could feel her every emotion, which meant that he had probably just felt all of the love for him that had just been swirling through her heart. That, of course, was a problem, because even though she most assuredly _was_ falling in love with Jasper, she hadn't actually planned on _telling_ him. Not _now_ , at least. For starters, they hadn't even been an official couple for a full twenty-four hours yet – it was way too soon to start shouting her love for Jasper from the rooftops. She also hadn't planned on saying anything unless _Jasper_ said it first, because she wasn't about to risk freaking him out by being too quick to throw the 'L' word around.

Danielle flushed as she struggled to come up with a good excuse. "I was thinking how…how _excited_ I am for the dance tomorrow!" she finally managed out with a vigorous nod. "I'm just _really_ looking forward to it!"

The way Jasper stared back at her led her to believe that he wasn't very convinced that she was telling him the truth, and for a second she thought he might question her further. Thankfully, he seemed to decide against it and slowly nodded acceptingly of her excuse. Danielle breathed easier, and vowed to try to keep her feelings to herself from here on out…if such a thing was even _possible_.

"I'm glad you're excited," Jasper said in response, his demeanor and expression perfectly normal now. "If I'm being honest, I'm actually rather looking forward to it myself."

Danielle raised her brows at him. "Really? I thought you said dances were _silly_ ," she reminded him.

Jasper shrugged. "Yes, well…that was _before_ I had a breathtakingly beautiful girlfriend to go with," he said lowly, the corner of his mouth turning upward.

Danielle flushed for a new reason now, her lips pulling into a bashful smile. "If there's anyone who's breathtakingly beautiful, it's _you_ , not me," she rebutted.

Jasper smiled, but shook his head. "And that is where I'm going to have to firmly disagree with you," he said.

"Agree to disagree, then," Danielle said with a shrug.

Jasper nodded, then he tilted her chin up with his knuckle before leaning down to give her a quick, soft kiss. It was a far cry from the last kiss they had shared, which had been so passionate she was surprised she hadn't spontaneously combusted as the result of it, but just the feel of is his cool lips on hers still sent her heart racing and made her entire body tingle with satisfaction.

He pulled away to smile at her, looking quite pleased with himself when he saw the undoubtedly dreamy look on her face, then nodded his head in the direction of Bella's house. "Why don't we get going?" he suggested.

Danielle nodded in agreement, then turned to lock the door to her house before intertwining her fingers with Jasper's and starting across the street. Edward was leaning casually against the driver side door of his Volvo, his eyes peering at the Swan house as he waited for Bella to come outside. He glanced over as she and Jasper approached, then smiled politely and inclined his head to her.

"Good morning, Danielle," he greeted.

"Morning, Edward," she said back.

"I hope you don't mind driving Bella's truck again today," he said, glancing toward the vehicle in question. "It's probably not very environmentally friendly, taking two cars to the same place when we could easily carpool, but it'll make the return trip home much easier for both of you in the long run."

Danielle just nodded her head. "I don't mind driving the truck," she assured him with a smile. Because driving the truck meant being alone with Jasper, and that sounded a heck of a lot better than carpooling with Bella and Edward.

Edward nodded gratefully in response, before his gaze turned a bit serious. He glanced at the Swan house, then stood a bit straighter as he looked at Danielle again. "I have a bit of a favor to ask of you, Danielle," he said, which made her tilt her head questioningly. "If it isn't too much to ask, could you possibly keep an eye on Bella for me while Jasper and I are away?"

Danielle shot an uncertain look at Jasper, who just shrugged in response, before lifting a brow at Edward. "What do you mean, _keep an eye on her_?" she asked. "Is she gonna be doing something crazy that none of us know about?"

"I should hope not," Edward said. "But Bella is, well… _Bella._ If an opportunity to get hurt presents itself, she will most certainly take advantage," he reminded her with a grim smile. "I only ask this of you because you're trustworthy, and because you're Bella's closest friend," he continued. "If, for example, she decides to go traipsing through the woods after dark, or if she suddenly expresses a desire to go onto the roof for a bit of stargazing, maybe you could just…discourage her from doing so?"

Danielle started to point out the fact that she was not Bella's parent, therefore Bella likely wouldn't be asking her permission to do anything, nor would it be Danielle's place to tell her no even if she did. But when she saw the almost pleading look in Edward's amber colored eyes, she finally just nodded her head.

"Yeah, okay," she agreed. "I'll do my best."

Edward's small smile of gratitude was immediate. "Thank you, Danielle."

"No problem," Danielle responded with a nod.

The front door of Bella's house finally opened after that, which made all three of them look in that direction. Bella stepped outside, then smiled as she caught sight of Danielle, Jasper, and Edward standing in the driveway. "Hey, guys," she greeted with a friendly smile. "Are you riding with us this morning?" she then asked as she came to stand with them.

"No," Danielle answered. "I've been informed that I need to take your truck to school if you and I want a way home this afternoon," she said.

Bella seemed confused and shot Edward an uncertain look. "Don't I already have a ride home, though?" she asked.

Edward smiled a bit. "Jasper and I are leaving school after lunch today," he revealed, which made Bella frown at once. "We're just going for a quick hunt in preparation for tomorrow," he told her with a nod. "We'll be back by the morning."

Bella still didn't seem crazy about the fact that Edward would be leaving early, but nodded in acceptance anyway. "Okay, I guess that makes sense." She looked back over at Danielle, then held up an index finger. "Here, wait just a sec. I'll go grab the key to my truck."

They waited around while Bella hurried back inside to retrieve the key, which had likely been returned to her the previous afternoon when Alice had returned Bella's truck. They didn't have to wait long – Bella returned a few short moments later, then plopped the key into Danielle's waiting hand.

"Just don't let _him_ drive," she said, which made Danielle and Jasper both raise their brows at her. "No offence," Bella said quickly to Jasper. "But if you drive anything like _he_ does," she said, nodding her head toward Edward, "then you'll probably _kill_ my poor, old truck. And I kinda like my truck, so I'd rather it lived to see another day."

Danielle smirked with amusement now, while Jasper smiled a bit and nodded in understanding. "Don't worry. I won't let him put one finger on the steering wheel," she promised Bella.

Bella smiled, then went around to the passenger seat of the Volvo, where Edward was already pulling open the door for her. "See you guys at school," she said, before ducking into the car.

Danielle and Jasper turned and went to the truck, while Edward joined Bella in the Volvo. As the Volvo reversed out of the driveway and started off down the road at a speed that was probably not very acceptable for a neighborhood, Jasper opened the driver's side door to Bella's truck and helped Danielle in, never once releasing her hand. Finally he let go, shut the door, and hurried around to the passenger side.

Danielle put the key in the ignition, but did not start the truck straight away. Instead, she looked over at Jasper with a frown of uncertainty. "Why does Edward feel like Bella needs a babysitter?" she asked with confusion. "What exactly does he think is gonna happen to her in a place like this? This town is basically the size of a gnat," she pointed out. "I can't imagine there'd be _that_ much danger lurking around."

Jasper sighed and shrugged a shoulder. "Edward just feels very protective of Bella," he answered.

Danielle quirked a brow. "Protective, or _possessive_?" she asked pointedly.

"Both, I suppose," Jasper admitted truthfully. "I don't know if you have noticed, but Bella seems to have a knack for attracting danger, which, as I'm certain you can now see, makes Edward nervous. He cares for her, and he worries that something bad will happen to her, that's all."

In a way, Danielle could see perhaps where Edward was coming from. But still, asking her to more or less stand guard over Bella why he was away? That was a bit much. "He seems a little over the top with it, though," she said. "I mean, you don't get that way with _me_."

Jasper gave her a look. "Trust me, I share the exact same fears and worries that Edward does," he assured her with a serious look. "I, on the other hand, try not to be quite so overbearing about it," he added with a smirk. "And luckily for me, the danger Bella attracts seems to be uninterested in you."

Danielle just made a sound of understanding. "I see." She looked at him for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, thank you for not being an obnoxiously overprotective boyfriend. Because as perfect and wonderful as you are, I would _not_ be a fan of you acting like that," she told him honestly. "And as for the _danger_ you're talking about," she continued, "let's just hope it decides to stay away from both me _and_ Bella."

Jasper nodded in agreement. "Yes. Let's," he echoed.

They shared a small smile, before Danielle finally started the truck, making it roar to life. Finally, she put the truck in drive, and with that they were on their way to school.

* * *

They pulled into Forks High a short while later, parking in the spot that was open next to Edward's Volvo. Edward and Bella, who had undoubtedly beaten them to school by a considerable chunk of time, were nowhere in sight. Danielle cut the engine and got out of the truck, moving to the bed to grab her bag. Not so surprisingly, when the students in the parking lot saw that she and Jasper had arrived at school together again, they stared and whispered to one another. Danielle ignored the onlookers and instead smiled at Jasper once he was by her side, happily sliding her hand into his when he extended it toward her.

They walked hand in hand across the parking lot, their sights set on the school. As they made their way closer to the staircase that would lead up to the school, Danielle saw that Rosalie's red convertible was parked in the spot the Cullen's often parked in. She also saw that Emmett, Alice, and Rosalie herself were all loitering by the car, talking casually with one another. When she and Jasper were only a handful of feet away, all three turned at the same time to look at them. Emmett and Alice smiled upon seeing them, but Rosalie scowled before grabbing her book bag and turning to leave with a dramatic swish of her blonde hair, walking briskly up to the school. Emmett and Alice watched her go with small frowns before sharing a look with each other. As for Danielle, she just sighed to herself, not in any way surprised by the vampire's behavior.

"Morning, lovebirds," Emmett greeted loudly as she and Jasper finally reached them. He was grinning again, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he looked back and forth between the two of them.

Danielle smirked at him. "Morning, _Big Foot_ ," she said in return, which made Jasper snort. She looked over at him and they shared a smile, both amused by their little inside joke.

Emmett seemed confused. "Big Foot?" he echoed. "Where did _that_ come from?"

"Nowhere," Danielle answered evasively. While Emmett scratched his head, seemingly unsure what to make of his new nickname, Danielle focused her attention on Alice. "Hi, Alice," she greeted with a friendly smile. "It's nice to see you again."

Alice grinned brightly. "Same to you. Are you looking forward to the dance tomorrow?"

Danielle nodded instantly. "Oh yes. Very much so."

Alice beamed even more, her eyes flicking back and forth between her and Jasper. "You two are going to have _such_ a magical time! I just know it!" she all but gushed. "And I _love_ the dress you picked out, Dani. You're going to look absolutely stunning!"

For a split second, Danielle was confused as to how Alice could possibly know what kind of dress she had picked out for the Spring Fling. But then she quickly remembered that Alice had visions of the future, which could only mean that Alice had seen a vision of her and Jasper going to the dance together. Danielle couldn't lie – it was pretty weird and a little unnerving that Alice had been able to see something about her own future that had not yet taken place, but she tried to ignore the feeling and smiled at the beautiful vampire.

"Thank you," she said with a nod.

"I tried to convince Alice to tell me what it looked like," Jasper spoke up, which made her look at him. He was giving Alice a look of slight annoyance, though Danielle could tell instantly that he wasn't _really_ mad. "She wouldn't do it, though. The only hint she gave me was that it would, and I quote, ' _knock my socks off_ '."

Danielle looked back at Alice, who smirked and shrugged innocently. "And that's the _only_ hint you'll get from me," she said with finality, which just made Jasper shake his head. "Don't worry, Dani," Alice said, directing her attention back to Danielle. "I'm going to make sure Jasper wears an outfit that matches yours. And though he isn't going to look anyone _near_ as good as you, I'll do my best to make him look as handsome as possible."

Jasper narrowed his eyes at his sister, who smiled mischievously, but Danielle just raised her brows in warning. "Careful, Alice. If you make him look anymore handsome than he already is, I might faint the moment I see him. The night will be finished before it even begins," she said.

That made Jasper look at her again, a broad smile stretching across his impossibly gorgeous face in response to those words. Danielle returned his smile, knowing they both probably looked like a couple of lovesick fools but not really caring. She thought she heard Alice sigh, as if watching a touching scene in a romantic film. Emmett, however, immediately groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, gag," he said, which made everyone frown at him. "If you guys are gonna get all _mushy_ , I'm outta here," he then announced.

With that, Emmett grabbed his backpack, gave them one last over exaggerated grossed-out look, then headed off without another look back. Alice rolled her own eyes, then gave Danielle a reassuring look.

"Don't mind him. He's just likes to give you and Jasper a hard time," Alice said.

"No worries. I'm used to Em's antics by now," Danielle said with a nod.

The bell to signal that it was time for students to begin making their way to first period rang. The teenagers that had been hanging out in the parking lot all began to head inside. As for Alice, she reached over to grab her school books, which had been resting on the trunk of Rosalie's car, then gave Danielle and Jasper another smile.

"Time for class," she said. "See you two later."

"Bye," Danielle and Jasper said.

Alice soon disappeared into the crowd of students as she made her way up to the school. Jasper and Danielle began to head that way as well, walking hand-in-hand, not feeling in too much of a rush as they moseyed along with the rest of their classmates.

"I like Alice," Danielle told him with a small smile. "She's nice."

"I knew you would," Jasper said with a nod. "Alice likes you, too," he then told her with a smile. "Now that we're together, I'm sure she'll do everything in her power to make you her new best friend."

Danielle laughed. "Hey, that might not be so bad," she said with a shrug.

Jasper gave her a sideways look. "You don't know Alice like I do," he pointed out. "She has the tendency to be a bit of a handful."

"Well, I'd rather her smother me with friendship than treat me like I'm some kind of leper, like _Rosalie_ is so fond of doing," Danielle countered.

Jasper sighed at the mention if Rosalie. "I'm sorry about her," he told her with a small frown of apology.

Danielle just squeezed his hand. "It's alright. I'm a big girl. I can handle it," she assured him with a firm nod.

Jasper just nodded, though there was a lingering look in his eye that said he still wasn't thrilled with the way Rosalie continued to behave around her.

They had made it to Danielle's locker by now, and as she put in the combination to open the lock, Jasper leaned against the neighboring locker to wait. Danielle quickly put away her backpack and grabbed the books she needed for her first classes of the day, before shutting the locker again. They then continued on to Jasper's locker so that he could grab his books as well.

As they walked, Danielle found herself thinking about Jasper's family. It was obvious to her how his siblings felt about their relationship – Rosalie was not happy about how involved they had gotten with one another, but Emmett, Alice, and Edward seemed to be supportive of her and Jasper's relationship. Yet when it came to Carlisle and Esme, Jasper's parents, she had absolutely no idea how _they_ felt about all of this. Were they glad that Jasper had found happiness with her? Or did they disapprove of the fact that Jasper had involved himself with a human?

Danielle stood by as they reached Jasper's locker and he opened it up, her teeth gnawing on her bottom lip as she pondered those questions that had just floated into her mind. Once Jasper finished grabbing his books, he grabbed her hand again and they started off toward first period. He seemed to notice that Danielle was distracted, though, because he gave her hand a gentle squeeze to catch her attention, then raised his brows questioningly as their gazes met.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Danielle hesitated, feeling unsure whether or not she should say what was now on her mind. Finally, she decided she may as well ask Jasper, even _if_ the answer was one she didn't want to hear. "What do Carlisle and Esme think about us being together?"

The question seemed to catch him a bit by surprise at first, but then he sighed and shrugged a shoulder. "They're not _un_ supportive of it," he told her in a tone that didn't exactly bode well.

Danielle frowned. "But they're not really happy about it, either, are they?"

"I wouldn't say that," Jasper said with a shake of his head. "They see how happy you've made me, and that makes _them_ happy," he told her.

"But…?" Danielle prompted, knowing there was more to be said about this.

"But," Jasper continued, "they still worry. They know it hasn't been easy for me, living this lifestyle, and they know very well how risky it is for us to be together like this," he explained. "At the end of the day, they _are_ happy for us. They just don't want to see things end _badly_ ," he concluded.

Danielle nodded, then gave him a determined look. "Things _won't_ end badly," she told him firmly. "I have complete confidence in you, Jasper. I'm not worried, and someday _they'll_ realize that there's nothing to be worried about, either."

Jasper pulled her to a stop right there in the middle of the hallway, his eyes full of both amazement and affection as he gazed down at her. "I've asked before, but I'm going to ask again – how can you _possibly_ have so much faith in me?"

For one fleeting moment, Danielle thought about telling him the truth – she had faith in his ability to control himself because she trusted him, because she _loved_ him. She didn't say that, though. She just smiled up at him, her hand squeezing his. "I just do," Danielle told him.

Jasper just smiled a bit and shook his head in wonderment, before stepping closer and leaning down to kiss her forehead. Danielle smiled up at him when he pulled back again, her heart feeling warm and fuzzy at his affectionate gesture.

"Come on," Jasper urged, before tugging her toward class again. "We better hurry or we'll be late."

Danielle just nodded, then went with him to their Calculus class.

* * *

It was a fairly typical school day after that. First and second period went by much too quickly for Danielle's taste, and before she knew it, Jasper was leaving her with a kiss on her knuckles at her third period class and telling her he would see her at lunchtime. In History, they split up into pairs to work on an assignment, so naturally Danielle paired up with Emmett. Instead of working, though, he took advantage of the fact that they could talk without getting yelled at by the teacher and proceeded to spend most of the class incessantly teasing her about her and Jasper's new status as an official couple. By the time the final bell rang, Danielle had just about reached her limit when it came to him making fun of her. Emmett redeemed himself, though, by finally dropping the act and telling her with a genuine smile that, all joking aside, he really _was_ happy for her and Jasper. It was difficult to be annoyed with him after that.

She was reunited with Bella in Spanish, where she reassured her friend that her truck had made it to school safely – and slowly – and that it was still perfectly intact. They talked until the bell rang, then spent the rest of the class counting down the minutes until they would be able to see Jasper and Edward again.

Danielle was pleased to see that Edward was not the only Cullen hanging around outside their Spanish class when the bell for lunch finally rang. Jasper was there, too, and he greeted her with a happy, lopsided smile the moment she stepped out of class. All four of them walked to lunch together, Danielle and Jasper walking hand in hand, while Bella and Edward merely walked side by side, then made a beeline for the lunch line once they were in the cafeteria. They parted ways after they had gotten their food though, each couple preferring to spend this time alone rather than sharing a table. Once at their table, Danielle and Jasper quickly fell into casual conversation while they ate – well, while _she_ ate, anyway. Jasper just pushed his food around and took a few obligatory bites here or there.

"So my mom is probably gonna want to take a bazillion pictures before we leave for the dance," Danielle warned him when their conversation inevitably went toward the topic of the dance. "She's probably gonna say something about us being together, too, so if she does something embarrassing or mom-ish, I apologize in advance."

Jasper smirked with amusement. "Don't worry. I'm not easily offended, _or_ easily embarrassed," he said reassuringly.

"Good, because sometimes my mom can get a little…aggressive," Danielle said with a pointed look, before taking another bite of food.

There was a brief lull in conversation, until Jasper tilted his head. "What did she say when you told her about us?" he asked with only a hint of caution, as if he was afraid that Lynne might not approve.

"Oh, she was over the moon," Danielle revealed with a smile, which seemed to make him relax. "She knows how I feel about you, so she's glad that we're together."

"And she approves of me?" Jasper asked.

Danielle nodded. "She does so far. She think you're well-mannered and nice. She thinks you're, like, _really_ cute, too, so there's that," she added with a playful smirk.

Jasper looked as though he wasn't sure how he should feel about that little tidbit, but eventually he shrugged. "At least she likes me," he said. "Though I have to imagine she might feel a little differently if she knew what I _really_ was," he added, pursing his lips a bit.

Danielle thought about that for a second, then mimicked his shrug. "Honestly, I don't think she'd believe me even if I _did_ tell her the truth," she told him. "And while we're on the topic," she continued, giving him a curious look. "I'm assuming you would prefer it if I _didn't_ tell her, correct?"

Jasper nodded in confirmation. "It could be risky, her knowing the truth about our family," he said. "I feel horrible, asking you to keep a secret like this from your own mother, but for now, it's better if she doesn't know."

Danielle just nodded in understanding. She wasn't crazy about the thought of not telling Lynne the complete truth about Jasper, simply because she and her mother never kept any secrets from each other. But, at the end of the day, Jasper being a vampire was not her secret to tell, and she had meant it when she had told Edward that she wouldn't tell anyone what she knew. Until she was told otherwise, she wasn't going to breathe a word of anything to anyone, not even her own mother. The Cullen's secret would be safe with her.

When lunch was beginning to come to a close, Danielle and Jasper went to throw away their trash and headed outside before the rest of the students in the cafeteria did, just so they could have a few more minutes of privacy before Jasper left for the day. They headed toward the parking lot, then went over to where Edward had parked the Volvo. Danielle sighed once they were by the car, then turned to Jasper and stepped closer, so that she could slide her arms around his waist. Jasper smiled down at her and wrapped his long, strong arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

"I'll only be gone for a little while," he reminded her.

"It's still too long," Danielle said, trying not to sound _too_ whiney. "Where are you gonna hunt tonight?"

"We won't be going far, just a little ways north of here," he said with a nod.

Danielle nodded. "Well, happy hunting, I guess?" she said, unsure if that was the appropriate thing to say in this sort of circumstance.

"I'm sure we'll have fun," Jasper said with a nod. "Edward and I have always gotten along well, but with you and Bella in the picture now, we certainly have something to bond over," he told her. "I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about tonight."

Danielle raised her brows jokingly. "Who knew you two were a couple of gossipers," she said with a small laugh.

Jasper shrugged. "It's Forks. Everyone gossips, even us," he shot back with a smirk.

Danielle just shook her head in amusement. When they heard the bell ring in the distance, Danielle sighed and held him tighter, knowing that their time was rapidly coming to an end. "When can I expect you tomorrow?" she asked.

"The dance starts at seven, so how about I come pick you up at six-thirty?" he suggested. "That way there will be plenty of time for your mother to take all the pictures she wants to."

Danielle nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Jasper returned her nod, then lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, his eyes scanning her features. He then placed his hand on her neck and leaned down to give her a soft, lingering kiss. Danielle sighed and leaned into him, holding him tighter, savoring the moment. Eventually Jasper pulled away, and when he did, she realized very quickly that it was because Edward had said his goodbyes to Bella and was now making his way toward them. He seemed to be looking anywhere but at them, as if trying not to intrude on their private moment. She looked at Edward, then sighed and glanced up at Jasper.

"Time to go," she said regretfully.

Jasper nodded and finally released her. "I'll see you tomorrow," he promised. "Have a good night tonight."

"I will," Danielle said. "And make sure you wear your dancing shoes tomorrow, because we've got a dance floor to tear up," she added.

Danielle did a little jig after that, which made Jasper chuckle. Edward, who had reached them by now, just quirked a brow at her before shaking his head in amusement and opening the driver's side door. "Don't judge me," she shot at Edward jokingly.

"I wouldn't dare," Edward assured her. "Let's go, Jasper," he then said to his brother, before sliding gracefully into the driver's seat.

Jasper nodded, flashed Danielle one more smile, then went around to the passengers seat. Danielle waved at him one last time, then watched as he finally ducked into the Volvo. She finally turned to leave, knowing that if she lingered for too much longer that she would be late for class. She glanced over her shoulder to watch as Edward's Volvo turned out of the parking lot and went racing off down the street, before finally heading back inside. She just hoped now that the rest of the day went by quickly, because she missed Jasper already, and she couldn't _wait_ to see him again.

* * *

In an attempt to both keep her mind preoccupied _and_ to hold true to the promise that she had made Edward, Danielle spent the rest of the day hanging out with Bella. They went to the diner with the lunch group after school to hang out and drink milkshakes, before they went back to Danielle's house to work on homework together. When it was close to the time that their parents would both be getting home from work, Danielle proposed that instead of their two families eating separately, they should eat dinner together. Bella agreed, and after they both called their respective parent to inform them that they'd all be eating together, she and Bella began cooking dinner together.

It turned out to be a very pleasant evening. Danielle and her mother had shared meals with Bella and her father a number of times by now, so there was no awkwardness between them. They all talked and laughed and ate, enjoying ones another's company. When they were finished eating, Charlie and Lynne said they would clean up the kitchen, so Danielle and Bella left them to it and went up to Danielle's room to hang out and listen to music. They stayed there for a long time, talking about music and books and, of course, Jasper and Edward. Eventually, though, it started to get late, and finally Bella and Charlie left to return to their own house. Danielle and Lynne showed them to the door and saw them off, watching as the father and daughter made their way back across the street. After that, Danielle and her mother went into the living room to watch a few sitcoms, until it was finally time to go to bed.

Saturday ended up being nothing but pure torture. Danielle was beyond excited to see Jasper and to go to the dance, but with her mother at work and not very much to do to pass the time, the day absolutely dragged. She moseyed around the house, taking care of a few mundane chores, watching television, and flipping through some magazines her mother bought at the store from time to time. Around lunchtime she received a call from Tom, which resulted in a nearly hour long conversation. It was still only about one o'clock in the afternoon by the time they were saying goodbye, though, and upon realizing she still had to wait five and a half grueling hours until Jasper would be coming to pick her up, Danielle groaned and retreated back to the living room to channel surf some more.

Finally, around four o'clock, Danielle hopped in the shower so that she could start getting ready. When she was finished with that, she stepped out of her bathroom to pull on some comfy clothes to wear while she got ready. To her surprise, just as she finished getting dressed there was a knock on her bedroom door.

"Hi, honey!" Lynne said, opening the door and poking her head in without waited to be invited.

Danielle looked at her with slight confusion. She had known her mother planned to come home earlier than usual to see her and Jasper off to the dance, but she hadn't thought she was you going to come home _this_ early. "What're you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you weren't coming home until six?"

Lynne rolled her eyes dramatically. "You think I'd really stay at work and _not_ come home to help you get ready for the dance?" she asked with disbelief. "Puh-lease! This is a special night, and I'm gonna make sure my baby girl looks perfect!" Lynne announced grandly.

Danielle grinned widely and went to hug Lynne, feeling a rush of gratitude for her mother. "Thanks, Mom! You're the best."

Lynne smirked and patted her back. "Tell me something I _don't_ know," she teased, which made Danielle laugh. "Now," Lynne said, clapping her hands together, her eyes taking in Danielle's bare, make-up free face and wet hair. "Where to start?"

They ended up going downstairs to Lynne's bathroom, where she had several different hair styling tools and enough makeup to fill a factory. She sat Danielle down on the vanity stool and got to work on her hair, using a blow dryer and a round brush to smooth out her naturally curly locks. After that, she turned on a curling iron and curled her hair, so that it fell to her shoulders in smooth, tame waves. With that done, she began doing Danielle's makeup. They talked excitedly while Lynne worked and sang along with the radio that they had turned on, stopping about halfway through to go into the kitchen and eat some food so that Danielle wouldn't get hungry during the dance. When they finished, they went right back to the bathroom and resumed their little make-over. It was a ton of fun for Danielle, who felt like she'd time travelled back to the days where she and her mother would play dress up together and Lynne would do her hair and makeup, just like she was doing now.

Finally, just after six, Danielle hair and makeup was finished. Lynne took a step back after spraying the last round of hairspray, then grinned and nodded with satisfaction. "Alright, take a look!"

Danielle looked at herself in the mirror, then immediately grinned. She definitely had on way more makeup than she would usually wear, but her mother hadn't overdone it. Between her impeccable makeup and smooth, perfect hair, she felt glamorous and beautiful. "Thank you, Mom," she said, hugging Lynne again and kissing her cheek. "It looks amazing!"

"You're welcome," Lynne said, hugging her tightly. "Now go get your dress on! Jasper will be here soon!"

Danielle nodded and hurried upstairs. She carefully changed out of her clothes and slid into her dress, which fit her perfectly. She then went into the bathroom to put on sparkly, dangly earrings and a matching necklace, before spritzing herself with just one spray of perfume. Danielle then went back into her room to slide into a pair of silver heels, then turned to look at herself in the mirror. She looked far different than she did on a normal day, but she felt beautiful nonetheless. Now she hoped that Jasper would think so, too.

Danielle made her way downstairs, where Lynne was waiting with a camera already in hand. The moment she stepped into view, Lynne squealed and clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh. You look so _beautiful!"_ she said complimented, which made Danielle smile bashfully. "Stop right there!" Lynne then said as Danielle reached the bottom step. "Picture time!"

A small photo shoot ensued, where Danielle patiently smiled for the camera and where Lynne moved Danielle around to various areas in the house, snapping picture after picture. Finally, the clock struck six thirty. And as Jasper, who was always prompt and arrived precisely when he said he would, rang the doorbell, Danielle's stomach swarmed with butterflies.

"Want me to get it?" Lynne offered, looking beside herself with excitement.

Danielle shook her head. "Let me," she insisted.

Lynne nodded, then stood back while Danielle hurried down the hallway. Once she was in front of the door, Danielle paused to smooth her hands over her dress and her hair to make sure everything was in place. Then, smiling widely, she pulled the door open.

The first thing she saw was a bouquet of beautiful, red roses, which Jasper held in his hand. She then looked at Jasper himself, who was wearing a black suit, shiny black shoes, and a purple, button down shirt that was a few shades lighter than her dress. She had always thought he was out of this world handsome, but right now, he was so beautiful that it literally took her breath away.

Neither of them said anything for a moment. Danielle smiled at him, while Jasper, his eyes wider and a lighter shade of amber than usual, stared at her in stunned silence. His eyes traveled the length of her body, all the way down to her silver shoes, then back up again. When their gazes met, she saw him gulp. It was the exact reaction she and been hoping for, and it made her heart flutter beneath her ribs.

"Hi," she finally said.

"Danielle…" Jasper said slowly, his eyes sweeping over her again. "There are no words to describe how stunning you look," he finally told her with a shake of his head.

Danielle blushed. "I could say the same thing," she said. "You look amazing."

Jasper finally smiled, then stepped closer and pressed a kiss to her cheek. He then extended the roses toward her. "For you," he said.

Danielle took them, her eyes sliding closed as she breathed in their scent. "Thank you, Jasper. These are wonderful." She then stepped aside to make room for him to pass through the doorway. "Why don't you come inside?"

Jasper nodded and stepped into the house. They shared a look as Danielle closed the door behind him, but the sound of her mother approaching quickly caught their attention. Jasper stood straighter as he caught sight of her mother, a friendly smile stretching across his face.

"Hello, Ms. Clark," he greeted.

"Hi there, Jasper," Lynne said in return she gave him a once over, then raised her brows. "You look _very_ dapper tonight," she complimented, sharing a look with Danielle that wasn't very discreet at all.

"Thank you," Jasper said. "My sister, Alice, was the one who chose my outfit. She will be pleased to hear that it was met with approval," he added with a smooth laugh.

Lynne smiled, too, then turned her eyes down to the roses in Danielle's hands. "Oh, how lovely!" she said. "Here, give them to me," Lynne urged. "I'll put them in some water, then we can take some pictures!"

Lynne took the flowers into the kitchen, where they soon could hear rummaging around as she searched for a vase to put the flowers in. While they had a few moments alone, Jasper stepped closer and grabbed her hand, giving her a lopsided smile as he touched her smooth hair with his free hand.

"Alice was right," he murmured as he looked her over again. "I believe my socks gave been thoroughly knocked off."

Danielle laughed happily, then raised her brows at him approvingly. "I'm just glad I managed not to faint when I saw you. You look ridiculously good in this suit," she told him, reaching out to smooth her free hand over the lapel of his undoubtedly expensive suit jacket. "Where'd you get something like this anyway?"

"It's quite extraordinary the things one accumulates after existing for a century and a half," Jasper said with a smirk. "I've had this suit for many, _many_ years."

Danielle nodded in understanding, then flashed him a smile. "You'll have to show me all the other cool stuff you've accumulated someday," she said, curious to know what else he might have back at home.

"I would be more than happy to," Jasper said with a nod.

Lynne finally returned with the flowers, which were in a pretty vase now. "Tah-dah!" she said grandly. "Come on! Let's out these on the living room and then take some pictures!" she said excitedly, motioning for them to follow her.

Danielle and Jasper followed Lynne into the living room. After she set the flowers down on the middle of the coffee table, she quickly grabbed her camera again and turned back around to face them. Another photoshoot ensued after that. They posed together in various places around the room, even sitting on the couch at one point so that her mother could get the flowers Jasper had brought in the picture. Thankfully, Jasper was polite and patient while her mother snapped at least a dozen pictures and never said or did anything to hint that he was getting annoyed or uncomfortable. Danielle looked up at him at one point and smiled gratefully, squeezing his hand and silently thanking him with her eyes for being such a good sport. Jasper seemed to understand what she was saying and just smiled back, giving her a single nod in response.

"It's six-fifty, just so you know," Jasper eventually murmured in her ear while Lynne was snapping a picture of them standing by the staircase.

Danielle nodded, then finally held a hand up. "Okay, Mom, picture time's over! Jasper and I have to go," she said firmly.

"Oh, yes! Of course, of course!" Lynne said at once. She finally set the camera down and began to usher to them toward the door. "You two have fun! Be safe! Stay away from the punch if it looks like it's been tampered with!" Lynne advised in a motherly tone.

"We will, Mom," Danielle said, sharing an amused look with Jasper as she paused at a table in the hallway to grab the clutch she had stowed her wallet and phone in. When they reached the door, she turned back to hug her mother tightly. "I'll see you later," she said.

Lynne squeezed her and kissed her on the temple. "Bye, sweetie," she said, patting her back before finally releasing her. Jasper opened the door and the two of them started to walk outside, but before they could get far, Lynne stopped Jasper with a hand on his arm. He paused, looking mildly surprised by the fact that Lynne had just touched him. "Just a second, Jasper," Lynne said. "Could we speak in private for a moment?"

Jasper shared a quick look with Danielle, then nodded. "Of course," he said. "I'll meet you at the car," he said to Danielle with a nod.

Danielle hesitated, then started making her way to Jasper's car, but not without shooting her mother a warning look first. Once Danielle was standing next to Jasper's car, she turned back and watched them talk from afar, instantly recognizing the overprotective look Lynne's face. Sighing to herself, Danielle crossed her arms, hoping her mother wasn't saying anything _too_ horrible to Jasper. Finally, after they talked back forth for a few minutes, Jasper said something that made her mother smile. She then patted Jasper on the shoulder and sent him on his way. Danielle stood straighter as he approached, glancing briefly at her mother as she lingered in the doorway to watch them depart.

"What did she say?" Danielle hissed as he stopped beside her and pulled the passenger side door open.

Jasper just smiled. "Nothing I wasn't expecting to hear," he told her with a reassuring nod. Danielle started to ask him to elaborate, but he spoke again before she could. "We should get going," he encouraged, motioning toward the passenger seat. "We don't want to be late."

Danielle cocked an eyebrow at him, but finally slid into the car. Jasper shut the car door, waved to her mother one last time, then hurried around to the driver's side. Once he was in the car, he started the engine, making it hum with life and filling the car with the familiar music of his favorite, old country band. Danielle gave him another look, still curious to know what her mother had said, but he didn't tell her. He just smiled at her and grabbed her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. Then he put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb, and they were off to Forks High.

* * *

There were already many students flooding into the school by the time they arrived. Jasper pulled into a parking space and cut the engine, then got out and came around to open the door for her. Danielle took the hand he offered and stepped out of the car, smoothing her skirt down with her free hand. Jasper shut the door behind her, then, walking hand-in-hand, they headed into the school and began making their way to the gymnasium.

As always, their arrival was met with a lot of staring and a lot of whispering, which she suspected was mainly due to the fact that a Cullen had actually decided to attend to the dance. Danielle noticed as they walked amongst their excited peers that she and Jasper might have been a _tad_ bit overdressed. The other girls were wearing dresses, too, but the seemed a bit more on the casual side in comparison to the one Danielle had picked. As for the guys, most of them were just wearing slacks and button down shirts, not a full on suit like Jasper was wearing. Danielle didn't really mind that they had perhaps gone a little fancier than was needed, though, especially so considering how great Jasper looked. Tonight was a special night, their first real outing together as a couple – why _not_ be a little fancy about it?

They finally made it into the gym, which had been transformed into a sparkly, colorful dance hall. A number of tables had been set up around the room for kids to sit and rest between songs, while a long beverage table was stationed by the doors leading into the gym. Music was already blaring through the speakers and groups of people were already dancing, but there were a lot of students just standing around and eyeing each other nervously, as if they were afraid to ask each other to dance. There were a lot of teachers walking around too, obviously there to chaperone and make sure nothing got out of hand.

Danielle could already feel the urge to dance taking over and smiled up at Jasper, who was watching some of the dancing couples doubtfully. The song that was playing was a popular, fast paced one that she had heard on the radio a lot recently, and it was _definitely_ not Jasper's kind of music. She moved to stand in front of him anyway and grabbed both of his hands, making him look down at her.

"Whatcha say, Hale?" she said, wagging her brows. "You ready to cut a rug?"

Jasper looked at the dance floor again, then turned his eyes back to her. He had been relaxed in the car, completely at ease while it had just been the two of them. But now that they were at the school and now that they were very much _not_ alone, he looked a bit stiff and uncomfortable. Regardless, he gave her a pinched smile and nodded. "I can try," he said.

Danielle grinned, happy that he was willing to put himself out there for her, and began to pull him onto the dance floor, eager to see just what kind of moves Jasper might have hidden his arsenal. They hadn't more than a few steps, however, before she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

"Dani! Jasper!" It was Jessica, who was currently dragging Mike by the hand as she came hurrying over to them. Angela and Eric were right behind them, grinning widely. Jessica released Mike to hug Danielle excitedly, then moved out of the way so Angela could do the same. Mike and Eric hugged her but kept the embraces much shorter than normal, which she suspected might have been because of Jasper's presence. She didn't mind and quickly stepped back to slide an arm around Jasper's waist. He smiled down at her and wrapped an arm around her waist in return, pulling her closer.

"Oh my gosh!" Jessica said after everyone was finished greeting each other. "You guys look freaking _good_ ," she complimented, giving her and Jasper a once over. "I kinda wish we had dressed up a little more now," Jessica admitted with a small pout.

"Don't be ridiculous," Danielle said, waving off her words. "All of you look great!" she said, smiling widely at her friends. Her compliment seemed to make Jessica feel better, because she smiled brightly in response. "How was dinner?" Danielle asked, knowing the group had gone out before the dance.

"Good, except that Mike spilled spaghetti sauce on his pants," Angela said with a snicker. Danielle smirked at Mike, who just shrugged in response. "Thank goodness he's wearing black pants, right?"

"Yeah, for sure," Danielle agreed with a nod.

"We missed you guys at dinner!" Jessica interjected, giving her a sad look. "It would have been great if you two had come along," she said with a nod, glancing back and forth between her and Jasper.

"I'm sorry we didn't come," Danielle told her. "We just…wanted to do our own thing, ya know?"

"No worries, Dani," Mike said reassuringly. "We get it."

Danielle just smiled and nodded, glad that her friends didn't plan to hold anything against them.

They stood around talking for a little while longer – or rather, Danielle and the lunch group did most of the talking while Jasper stood silently beside her, looking awkward and reluctant to join in on their conversation. After a while a song that Jessica and Angela liked came on and they squealed with excitement. Both girls grabbed their dates by the hand and immediately dragged them to the dance floor, where they all began to dance and sing along with the song.

"You _can_ talk to them, you know," Danielle said, nudging Jasper with her elbow once they were alone. "They're nice people and I think they want to be friends with you."

Jasper gave her a sheepish smile. "Forgive me. I'm not used to interacting with people this much. I'm still trying to wrap my head around to the idea of having… _friends._ "

"It's alright," Danielle reassured him, rubbing his arm gently. "You'll get used to it."

It was around that time that the others finally realized that Danielle and Jasper had not followed them. Angela and Jessica began to wave them over enthusiastically, encouraging them to come and dance. Danielle glanced up at Jasper and raised her brows questioningly. There was a moment of hesitation on his part before he finally nodded in return, and with that they went to join the others on the dance floor.

Danielle wouldn't lie – dancing with Jasper was a little awkward at first. He looked even more tense once they were in the crowd of dancing students, his spine rigid and his eyes glancing around uncertainly. It left Danielle feeling a bit cautious about dancing too close to him, simply because she didn't want to push him if he was already feeling uncomfortable. She did grab his hands though and smiled encouragingly when he focused in on her. Once their gazes were locked with one another, he seemed to relax a bit and began to move to the music, keeping her hands in his and never once looking away.

Danielle had never considered herself to be a great dancer. She could at least move in time with the music, unlike _some_ of the people around her, but she knew her own moves weren't very much to brag about. Yet the longer they dance, the more she realized that even though she wasn't an awesome dancer, she was _way_ better than Jasper was. Danielle had to resist the urge to laugh as she watched Jasper sway awkwardly from side to side, looking like the quintessential ' _white guy'_ as he snapped his fingers and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. To be honest, he looked downright _adorable_ as he watched the way people danced around them and tried to mimic what they were doing.

"You hate this, don't you?" Danielle asked over the loud music, moving in closer so that he could hear her.

Jasper gave her a look. "No," he said. "But I think our definitions of dancing are quite different from one another," he added.

Danielle tilted her head with curiosity. "So then what's _your_ definition of dancing?" she asked.

"You might not like it," Jasper warned.

Danielle just shrugged. "You'll never know unless you show me," she pointed out.

Jasper hesitated, then finally nodded and gave her a smile that silently said, _You asked for it_. He stepped closer, guiding one of her hands to rest on his shoulder, then holding the other within his own. He then placed a hand on her waist and, with a smirk, began to guide around the dancefloor in a smooth, graceful waltz.

It was _vastly_ different from the way the teenagers around them were dancing, and the moment they began to glide around the dance floor, many people stopped what they were doing to openly gawk at them. Danielle blushed in response to the attention, stumbling a bit as she tried to keep up with Jasper's graceful movements, not necessarily feeling embarrassed, but definitely aware of the fact that more and more eyes were turning in their direction by the second. After a few turns around the floor, the song came to an end, which made them come to a halt during the brief lull in songs.

Jasper continued to smirk down at her, never once releasing his hold on her waist and hand. "So?" he asked, sounding curious to know what she thought of his preferred method of dancing.

Danielle shrugged, her cheeks still a bit pink. "Well, it's certainly _different_ ," she admitted. "And it proves that you're a hell of a lot more graceful than I am."

Jasper smiled down at her. "All it takes is a bit of practice. You'll get the hang of it someday," he assured her.

Another song began playing, and without warning, Jasper began to lead her around the dance floor again. Danielle smiled this time around, ignoring the looks being directed at them and just enjoying how much happier Jasper seemed now that he was a bit more in his element. After a while, he stopped waltzing with her so that they could dance more like the students around them. He kept her hands in his the entire time, though, so that he could twirl her in circles and keep her close by.

They danced for a few more fast paced songs, until a slower one finally began to play through the speakers. Several people filtered off the dance floor so that they could sit and rest or go grab something to drink, leaving the area open for those that were coupled up. Without hesitation, Jasper pulled Danielle to his chest, holding her hand securely in his and keeping her close with a hand on her back. Danielle grinned up at him like a lovesick fool and slid an arm around his neck, content to sway in place with him as they danced to the slow love song.

"Are you having fun?" Jasper asked, his eyes locked on hers.

Danielle nodded. "Tons," she said. "How about you?"

Jasper nodded slowly. "More than I thought I would," he admitted. "Then again, I think it would be impossible _not_ to enjoy any time I get to spend with you."

Danielle smirked and tightened the arm that she had around his neck, which brought her even closer to him and all but erased whatever space had been between them. "You don't have to keep sweet talking me, you know," she teased lightly. "You've already won me over."

Jasper smirked back and gave her a look that made her nerves zing with awareness. She was also acutely aware of the hand on her back, and the fact that his thumb had begun to draw circles over her spine. "No sweet talk. Just truth," he said without missing a beat.

Danielle grinned, then closed her eyes and sighed contentedly as Jasper pressed a kiss to her forehead. She then rested her head against his chest, now accustomed to the lack of a heartbeat beneath her ear, releasing another sigh as he held her securely to his chest and rested his chin on top of her head. The rest of the students around them melted away and the world around them faded to the backdrop. The only thing that existed in that moment, the only thing that _mattered_ , was Jasper and his protective embrace, which she would have happily stayed in forever if it were up to her.

Eventually the song ended and changed to another fast paced one. Instead of staying to dance, however, Danielle said she wanted to take a break and get some water. Jasper nodded and led her off the dance floor, before pulling her over to the beverage table. Once she had a drink in hand, they found Angela and Eric occupying a nearby table and went to sit with them while they rested their feet. After a while, Jessica and Mike took a break from dancing and joined them at the table as well, and the six of them quickly fell into an easy conversation. Though Jasper had been reserved earlier, he seemed to have decided to step out of his shell a bit and joined in on the chatter around him. If the others were surprised that he was talking now, they didn't show it. As for Danielle, she just squeezed his hand under the table and gave him a broad smile, delighted that he was making an attempt to get to know her friends.

Before she knew it, it was past nine o'clock. They had danced a few more times, chatted with her friends quite a bit, and even gone to pose for a professional picture at the station set up in the far corner. It was as Danielle was laughing at a story that Eric was telling to the group that Jasper grabbed her hand to catch her attention and leaned close to speak into her ear.

"What would you say if I told you I had a surprise for you?" he asked quietly.

Danielle suppressed the urge to shiver in response to his lips so close to her ear and raised her eyebrows at him. "I'd have to say you've caught my interest…and ask why you didn't mention said surprise sooner," she said back.

Jasper smirked, then shrugged. "The surprise requires leaving the dance, and since we were having such a good time, I didn't want to end the night too quickly," he explained.

"I see," Danielle said with a nod of understanding. "Well, I think we've shown our faces around here long enough," she told him with a grin. "We can go now."

"You're sure?" Jasper asked with raised brows.

Danielle nodded vehemently. "I wanna know what this surprise is!"

Jasper chuckled and nodded, then stood up from the chair he'd been sitting in and extended a hand toward her. Danielle took and stood up, before announcing to her friends that she and Jasper were leaving. Though the group seemed disappointed that they weren't going to stay until the end of the dance, they stood to say their goodbyes anyway. After a round of hugs – Jasper made sure to stand back so as to avoid any possible hugs that might come toward him – Danielle slipped her hand back into Jasper's and they were soon on their way, smiling at one another as they exited the gymnasium and headed back toward the parking lot.

* * *

"Where are we?" Danielle asked when Jasper finally parked the car about twenty minutes later. They had driven outside of the boundaries of Forks and had taken some secret dirt road that led off the main highway and into the forest. Suffice to say, Danielle had no clue where they were, nor what Jasper had planned.

Jasper cut the engine and smiled over at her. "You'll see," he said mysteriously.

Jasper got out of the car after that, so Danielle followed suit. The moment she was out of the car, however, she looked down and frowned when she saw her silver heels sinking into the ground. Sighing, she quickly toed off the shoes, instantly shrinking about four inches as her bare feet made contact with the ground. Danielle then grabbed her shoes and went to the front of the car, where Jasper was waiting for her.

"Why did you take your shoes off?" he asked curiously when he saw the shoes in her hands.

"Heels and the forest don't exactly mix," she pointed out.

Jasper made a thoughtful sound at that, then stepped closer. "Well, I can't allow you to proceed with bare feet. You could step on something and hurt yourself," he said.

That was all the warning she got before he was locking one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back, before her effortlessly lifted her up bridal style into the air. Danielle made a sound of surprise, then smiled and blushed when she realized just how much she liked her current position. While one hand still clung to her shoes, she let her arm slide around Jasper's shoulder for stability, even though she knew he wouldn't drop her.

"I could get used to this," Danielle said. "So long as there's no running involved," she added hastily, her eyes going wide for a moment.

Jasper laughed, and she could feel the vibration of it through her body. "No running. You have my word," he promised, and because she knew he was telling her the truth, she quickly relaxed.

They began making their way through the trees after that. Danielle thoroughly enjoyed being carried by Jasper, since it allowed her to be close to him, be in his arms, and enjoy the lovely scenery all at the same time. The moon was bright that night, and there was just enough break in the tree tops to allow it to filter down and make everything ground level look pearly and ethereal. Danielle smiled as she gazed around, looking at the forest first, then up at the night sky. She then looked back to Jasper, who she was certain had been staring down at her the entire time. He did not look away when she caught him staring, merely smiled at her in a way that made butterflies start to flap around in her belly.

They finally stopped walking after about five minutes, and when Danielle looked around, she saw that they were in a clearing. Only, there was something different about this clearing. There was a large blanket stretched out right in the middle, surrounding by dozens of candles that had been placed on various-sized wooden boxes and tables that had been moved into the clearing. The candlelight gave the entire area a pretty, warm, and inviting glow. Jasper carried her to the blanket and set her on her own two feet, before walking over to waist high stand on the corner of the blanket. There was an old timey looking record player set up there, and though she had no idea how it was working out in the middle of nowhere, as he turned it on and put the needle in place, the soft singing of Ella Fitzgerald soon filled the clearing.

Danielle stood there in stunned silence, still holding her shoes, her eyes taking in her surroundings with amazement. This was not what she had been expecting, not even in the slightest. But as Jasper turned around to face her and gave her a small, almost bashful smile, she suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion.

"You set this up…for me?" she asked quietly.

Jasper nodded. "I…wasn't certain how well things would go at the dance," he began to explain as he started walking toward her. "I was afraid being in that environment would get overwhelming and that I would ruin our evening. Alice insisted that nothing was going to go wrong, but I didn't want to risk it. So, I set this up as a backup plan," he told her, coming to a halt right in front of her. He reached up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear, smiling down at her with nothing but adoration. "You were going to enjoy a dance, one way or another."

Jasper suddenly went a bit blurry, and it took only a second for her to realize it was because her eyes had filled with tears. They were tears of happiness, though, happiness at how incredibly sweet and thoughtful Jasper's gesture had been. Thankfully, Jasper was able to feel her emotions, otherwise he might have mistaken her tears for something that they weren't. Instead of worrying or asking what was wrong, he smiled at her gently and wiped away a tear that escaped the corner of her eye.

"Don't cry, darlin'," he said, and to hear him call her by that term of endearment nearly did her in again.

Danielle sniffled and closed the distance between them, tossing her shoes aside so that she could slide her arms around his waist. Jasper immediately wrapped his arms around her to hold her closer. "I'm sorry for turning into a total sap," she said. "This is just…the absolute _sweetest_ thing anyone has ever done for me," she told him. "It's beautiful and thoughtful and just…" Danielle had to take a breath before smiling up at him. "Thank you, Jasper," she said. "This is absolutely wonderful, and _way_ better than that silly dance."

"You're most welcome," Jasper said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

They stood there hugging for a moment, until Jasper gently pulled back far enough to be able to look at her. He smiled and moved one of her hands to rest on his shoulder, before taking her other hand in his. Much like they had done at the school, he began to lead her in another dance, slowly guiding her around the blanket that now served as their dance floor. Danielle smiled up at him adoringly, feeling a bit more in control of herself the longer they danced.

"I never pegged you as an Ella Fitzgerald type of guy," she commented as the song changed.

"Esme is a big fan. She listens to her all the time. I guess, over time, her love for the music began to wear off on the rest of us," Jasper explained with a smile.

"She has good taste," Danielle said with a nod. "While we're on the topic of mothers," she added, giving him a pointed look. "Are you finally going to tell me what _my_ mother said to you earlier?"

Jasper hesitated for only a second before answering. "She told me how important and special you were, which I already knew, then informed me she would do me serious harm if I hurt you in any way, which I assured her I would not do," Jasper revealed. "It was exactly what I thought I would hear, and therefore did not surprise, nor offend l me."

Danielle pulled a face. "Still. I'd prefer it if my mother _didn't_ threaten you," she said.

Jasper just smiled. "She loves you," he said simply. "I'd be more concerned if she _didn't_ threaten me."

Jasper suddenly dipped her, which made her instantly forget her mother and let out a small giggle. "Smooth move," she said as he pulled her upright again.

"I _am_ a decent dancer, so long as it's a dance I'm comfortable with," Jasper shot back. "And after all the many years I've had to practice, I would hope I would have _some_ skill in this area."

Danielle made a thoughtful sound as they swayed in place to the music. "You should write a book," she suggested. "You know, about all the things you've seen and experienced. After being alive for over a hundred and fifty years, there's no doubt you've seen some pretty incredible things."

"You're right. I have seen some incredible things," he told her with a nod. "But you're wrong about something else." When Danielle frowned up at him in confusion, Jasper smiled. "I've _existed_ for over a hundred and fifty years," he corrected. "I didn't finally come alive until I met _you_."

Danielle's heart jumped in her chest at those words and a blush immediately filled her cheeks. "I couldn't have made _that_ big of a difference," she murmured modestly, unable to think of anything else to say in response.

"But you did," Jasper said, his eyes suddenly serious and intent. "You completely changed my world, Danielle. I was alone for so long that I convinced myself I would never have anyone to share my life with. I would look at Emmett and Rosalie, or at Carlisle and Esme, and I would yearn for what they had, but I truly believed it would never happen to me. I had resigned to the belief that I would have my family, but nothing more. I accepted that I would spend the rest of my days living a life of loneliness."

They stopped dancing, standing arm in arm in the middle of the blanket as they stared at one another. "Then I met you, and everything changed," Jasper continued, smiling down at her affectionately. "You befriended me. You treated me like I was normal. You made me feel, for the first time in a long time, as though I was something worth while," he admitted. "I was fascinated by you from the very beginning, and _not_ just because of the way your blood affected me. In all my years, I have never known a woman more beautiful, both inside and out, as you. You're kind and selfless and smart. You're a strong woman, who is fiercely loyal to the ones you love and would do anything to take care of them. You may have a bit of a strange sense of humor, but that is one of the thing I adore most about you," he told her with a smirk. "Every moment I spend with you is the best moment of my existence. You make me feel calm and secure and as though I finally belong somewhere. You have made me indescribably happy, Danielle."

Danielle gulped, trying to ignore the prickle of tears in the back of her eyes as she gazed up at him in stunned silence. Jasper smiled and lifted a hand to her face, his eyes still intense and fixed on hers. "It may be too soon to say this, but I need you to know." He paused for a moment to suck in a deep breath, before saying the words she was suddenly, desperately wanting to hear. "I'm in love with you, Danielle Clark," Jasper confessed. "You are the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me, and I will love you for the rest of my days."

Danielle forgot how to breathe for a moment, forgot how to even think. She had not thought Jasper would profess his love for her so soon, and to hear those words, to feel the unmistakable wave of love that he was sending over her, made her feel completely overwhelmed. She pressed her lips together tightly as she stared up into his earnest eyes, seeing nothing but truth and love shining back at her. And suddenly, everything was thrown into sharp clarity. Even though she had just told her mother the night before that she didn't know if she loved Jasper, that she didn't even know what love felt like, right now, as she stared into Jasper's eyes, she knew. She wasn't just falling in love with him – she had _already_ fallen in love with him. Everything Jasper had confessed was exactly how she felt about him. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her, and she loved him.

The words were scary to say, simply because they were so serious, but Danielle had to say them. "I love you, too, Jasper," she whispered.

Jasper positively beamed at her, grinning so brightly that if the sun had been out, it would have paled in comparison to his smile. He then caressed her cheek, before leaning forward and capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. Danielle sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck as Jasper pulled her flush against his chest, her fingers twisting into his hair. When he finally pulled his lips from hers, he rested his forehead against hers, letting out a long content sigh. Danielle smiled, her fingers still toying with the soft hair at the nape of his neck.

"Thank you," she said to break the silence.

"For what?" Jasper asked curiously.

"Being you," Danielle answered simply.

Jasper just smiled at her, then leaned in to kiss her once more.

They stayed in the clearing for a while after that, sharing a few more dances before eventually lying down on the blanket and cuddling close together. They listened to the music and gazed up at the stars, talking about anything that came to mind and just reveling in their time together. Eventually, when Danielle shivered from a strong gust of wind, Jasper insisted that it was time to get her home before she caught a cold. Danielle resisted at first, insisting that she was fine and that they could stay a little longer, but Jasper wasn't having any of it. He shut off the music and grabbed her shoes, before gently hoisting her to her feet. Then he picked her up again and carried her to the car, which effectively ended her attempts to prolong their stay.

They drove back to her house in comfortable silence, holding hands the entire way. Every once in a while, Danielle, unable to resist herself, would raise his hand to her lips to kiss to it, which would always earn her a loving smile in return. After all that had happened that night, there were simply no words to describe how happy she felt. Right now, sitting with the vampire she loved after a wonderful night together, life had never felt more perfect.

When Jasper pulled to a stop in front of her house he quickly got out of the car and came around to open her door for her. Danielle happily took his hand an they began heading up toward the front porch. She noticed, however, that he kept shooting glances over his shoulder towards Bella's house, one brow lifted with interest.

"What is it?" she asked curiously, squeezing his hand to catch his attention.

Jasper smirked down at her. "Edward and Bella are back and appear to be having a sleep over."

Danielle blinked in surprise, then glanced back at Bella's window as they came to a halt in her porch. There were no lights on in Bella's room, nor were there any signs of movement within. "Edward is staying at Bella's house?"

"He always does," Jasper revealed. "Bella just actually _knows_ about it now."

"Oh." Danielle said, before giving Jasper a questioning look.

Jasper easily deciphered her silent question and shook his head. "I've never stayed in your room," he told her. "I didn't trust myself to be alone with you."

Danielle nodded, then smiled up at him as she realized that the thought of Jasper staying the night sounded like the best idea anyone had ever had. "Well, you could _now_. I mean, we're getting pretty good at this whole closeness thing," she said persuasively.

"Not happening, darlin'," Jasper said at once. "If I go into that bedroom with you, I may not be able to behave myself," he warned. "Best to avoid temptation altogether."

Danielle sighed with defeat. "Oh, alright…" She smiled then and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Jasper Hale. Always the perfect gentleman," she teased good-naturedly.

Jasper quirked a brow and smirked. "Not _always_ ," he said.

Then he was kissing her again, his lips moving firmly against hers as he pulled her even closer. Danielle made a sound of approval and returned his kiss, her knees quickly turning into the consistency of jelly as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. When he finally pulled away, she could only breathe heavily and cling to him tightly, feeling fairly certain she would fall down if she let him go. Jasper smirked as he gazes down at her, his eyes dark and full of desire.

"See? Not always." he said again, still holding her by the waist.

Danielle could only nod stupidly and stare at him with a huge, love struck grin across her face.

Jasper brushed his lips against hers one last time, then took a step back, though he didn't completely release her. "You should go inside now, before I have the chance to rethink my decision not to come in with you," he told her.

Danielle nodded, even though she _really_ didn't want to leave him. "Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes. You will," he promised.

"Good." Danielle paused, then reached up to touch his cheek. "I love you," she said, her heart skipping a beat as the words left her lips for the second time that night.

Jasper smiled widely and leaned into her touch. "I love you, too."

Danielle smiled at him for one last second, then finally, reluctantly, disentangled herself from his arms and went to her front door. She opened the door and stepped inside, turning back so that she could get one more look at his handsome face. Then, as he raised a hand to wave at her, Danielle blew him a kiss and finally shut the door.

Danielle leaned against the door, sighing happily as she took a moment to reflect on everything that had happened that night. And boy, what an _incredible_ night it had been. It had gone exactly as she had hoped. Actually, it had gone _better_ than she had hoped. And now she was just so happy and felt so in love and absolutely could _not_ wait to see Jasper so that she could feel his arms around her again.

She was finally pulled back to the present by the sound of her mother's voice. "Dani? Is that you?" Danielle opened her eyes just as her mother stepped into view. Lynne immediately smiled as she caught sight if Danielle. "Well, I'm glad that boyfriend of yours knows how to bring you home at a decent hour," she commented with a smirk. "How was the dance?"

"Amazing," Danielle said as she finally pushed away from the door.

Lynne quirked a brow at her. "Care to elaborate some more?"

On any other day, Danielle would have done just that. But right now, she just wanted to be alone to think about every single moment of the night and engrave it into her memory, so that she would never forget even the tiniest detail about her perfect evening with Jasper. That and she wanted to get to sleep as fast as possible, because the sooner she slept, the sooner she would see Jasper again.

"Let's talk tomorrow, okay, Mom?" she suggested.

Lynne looked a little suspicious now. "Everything okay?"

Danielle smiled and kissed her mother on the cheek. "Absolutely _perfect,_ " She said wistfully, before practically gliding past her mother and heading for the stairs. "Goodnight, Mom. Love you."

"Love you, too?" Lynne offered back, still sounding confused as to why Danielle was acting the way she was.

Danielle just ignored her though, and grinned to herself as she all but floated up to her bedroom. Before long she had washed off her make up, changed into her pajamas, and climbed into bed, where she soon fell asleep and dreamt about Jasper all night long.

* * *

 **Review!**


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**So in the book, Bella and Edward go to meet the Cullen's and then the whole baseball scene happens right after the dance. However, I felt like playing around with the timeline a bit, so that won't be happening here. Just a heads up to avoid confusion!**

 **Also, sorry for the long wait. I just got married last weekend, and planning for that completely took over my life these past few months. Writing was dang near impossible because my brain was just mush! But thank you for all your support and for taking the time to read! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OCs.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter Thirteen_**

Come Sunday morning, Danielle was still floating on cloud nine.

She woke up with a smile on her face and opened the window to breathe in the fresh air, despite the fact that it was cold outside. Grinning to herself and not even minding the fact that her bedroom was getting colder by the moment, she turned on some music and danced around her room as she got dressed for the day, her mind filled with the wonderful memories of the night before.

Jasper loved her. Repeat – Jasper Hale, was _in love_ with _her,_ Danielle Clark. It was incredible and wonderful and it had left Danielle feeling so happy that she thought she might actually explode with joy. It may have been cold and grey and rainy outside, but after Jasper's declaration of love, the world had never looked so beautiful. She was in love with Jasper, and Jasper loved her in return. As much as she had already believed that she had a good life, now everything was more perfect and more amazing than it had ever been, and it was all because of one incredible, fantastic, absurdly good looking vampire.

Danielle practically skipped her way downstairs when Lynne called up to announce that breakfast was ready. By the time she made it into the kitchen, her mother was already at the table, drinking coffee and picking at her food as she read the morning paper. Lynne looked up and quirked an eyebrow when Danielle breezed into the room and headed straight for the refrigerator to pour herself some orange juice, calling out an overly enthusiastic ' _good morning!'_ along the way.

"I see your mood from last night carried over to this morning," Lynne commented, regarding Danielle with scrutinizing eyes. "That smile on your face is brighter than the sun."

"Is it?" Danielle asked innocently, sitting down across from her mother. "This looks great, Mom. Thanks," she then complimented, before picking up her fork and digging into the plate Lynne had made for her.

"You're welcome," Lynne said, still watching her closely. She set her newspaper down, then gave her a knowing smile. "Now I want details about your night with Jasper," she said after Danielle had gotten a few bites down. "Was it everything you hoped it would be?"

Danielle grinned. "That and then some," she said with a nod. "We hung out with our friends, we danced a lot, talked a lot…it was _so_ much fun, Mom," Danielle gushed. She briefly considered telling Lynne about their trip to the clearing for their own private dance, and also considered telling her that they had exchanged the 'L' word, but then decided against it. That had been something special just for the two of them – she didn't _want_ to tell anyone else about it. "Jasper is just… _amazing_ ," she finally concluded.

Lynne smiled and reached for her coffee. "He seems like a pretty good catch," she agreed with a nod. But then she lifted an eyebrow, her expression turning a bit more stern. "He was a _gentleman_ , right?" she asked, her tone the tiniest bit protective.

Danielle thought back to the kiss he had left her with on the porch and felt her cheeks turn pink. "Of _course_ , Mom," she said at once. "Jasper isn't like other boys. He's nice and sweet and doesn't have a disrespectful bone in his body."

"Good," Lynne said with a satisfied nod. "Because if he _wasn't_ a gentleman, then, well…I'd have no choice but to kill him and make it look like an accident," she said, her tone completely serious.

Danielle had been about to take a bite of food, but paused with her fork halfway to her mouth to look at her mom with raised eyebrows. When Lynne just smiled serenely and took a sip of coffee, Danielle shook her head. "I love you…but you scare me sometimes," she said, before finally eating her bite of food.

Lynne just laughed.

After they were finished with breakfast, Lynne went to her bedroom to finish getting ready for work while Danielle started cleaning up the dishes from breakfast. She hummed to herself as she scrubbed the pans and plates clean, her mind filled with thoughts of the night before as she relived every second she had spent with Jasper. When she finally finished with the last dish, she shut off the water and dried her hands on a towel. Barely a second later, the doorbell rang.

"I got it!" Danielle called out, before heading for the door. When she opened the door, she smiled broadly upon seeing Bella standing on the other side. "Hey! Come on in!" she urged, stepping aside and making room for her to come inside.

Bella was beaming as she stepped past her, and as Danielle closed the door and turned to face her friend, she could honestly not remember any other time she had seen Bella looking so happy. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I _had_ to come and talk to you before you left for work," Bella said.

Danielle quickly shook her head. "I'm glad you're here, because I've been dying to talk to you!" she said with a big smile. "Come sit down and tell me _everything!"_

Danielle led Bella to the living room and they quickly sat on the couch, facing one another. Bella immediately launched into the details from her day with Edward – they had not gone to Seattle after all, but rather had gone hiking to a spot in the woods that Edward enjoyed visiting whenever the sun was out. Bella told her that Edward had shown her what he looked like in the sun – which immediately made Danielle yearn to see what _Jasper_ looked like – and then they had spent a long while just talking everything through and reaching an understanding as to where exactly their relationship was going. To Danielle's delight, they had finally decided that they were going to be together and had even sealed the deal with a kiss.

"Bella, I'm _so_ happy for you," Danielle said, squeezing her friend's hand. "I mean, I kind of assumed things had gone well since Edward spent the night at your house, but still…I'm glad to hear everything is good between you guys," she added with a shrug and a smirk.

Bella's eyes went wide, before her cheeks turned bright pink. "You know about that?" she asked, glancing in the direction of Lynne's room as if to make sure the woman had not overheard what Danielle had just said.

"You're not the only one dating a vampire, remember?" she reminded with a knowing look. "Jasper knew he was there the second we came back from the dance."

Bella shook her head. "Of course he did. Duh," she said with a self-deprecating smile. "How was the dance, by the way?" she asked next, tilting her head curiously.

Danielle was pretty sure Bella was just trying to steer their conversation away from the topic of hers and Edward's sleepover, but chose not to comment on it. Instead, she smiled happily and nodded. "We had an _incredible_ night," she said. "I love him, Bella," Danielle revealed with a sigh. "He's just…the best thing to ever happen to me."

Bella immediately grinned. "I think I know how you feel," she said with a nod.

Danielle returned her smile. "So what's next for you guys?" she asked, redirecting the conversation back to her and Edward. "Are you just gonna see how things go, or what?"

"I guess so, yeah," Bella said with a nod. "That's all we really can do. Just…take things one day at a time," she answered with a shrug. "But at least now I know where we stand, and now we can start figuring out how to make all this work," she concluded with a nod.

Danielle mimicked her nod, but before she had a chance to say anything else in the matter, Lynne came walking back into the living room. When she spotted Bella on the couch next to Danielle, she seemed only mildly surprised to see her.

"Hi, dear, how are you?' Lynne greeted with a friendly smile.

"Hi, Ms. Lynne," Bella said in return. She had started calling her 'Ms. Lynne' after Lynne had said that calling her Ms. Clark felt too impersonal. "I'm good. How are you?"

"Just fine, thank you," Lynne said with a nod. She then glanced between the two girls, her brows raising some. "Am I interrupting a gossip session?" she asked with a smirk.

Danielle glanced at Bella, who gave her a sharp look in return. The message in her eyes was clear – _Don't say anything about Edward._ "Bella just wanted to hear how the dance went," Danielle said with a nod.

"Oh, okay," Lynne said, accepting the half-truth. "Are you ready for work?" she asked next, glancing at her watch. "We're leaving in fifteen minutes."

"Yep," Danielle said. "Just gotta brush my teeth and put on some shoes."

"Okay, then. I'm gonna start making us some lunches to take with us," Lynne said, before giving them one last smile and heading back into the kitchen.

Danielle watched her go, then looked back to Bella. Her friend quickly gave her a small, grateful smile. "Thank you for not saying anything about Edward," Bella said, making sure to keep her voice down so Lynne wouldn't overhear. "I just …haven't told my dad yet. I'd rather he heard it from me than from your mom," she explained.

"No problem. I totally get it," Danielle assure her. "Your secret is safe with me for as long as it needs to be."

Bella let out a sigh if relief. "Thanks, Dani."

"Anytime," Danielle said, patting her on the arm.

Bella finally stood from the couch, and Danielle followed her suit. "I should get going," Bella said, jerking her thumb toward the door. "Edward went home to change, but he'll be back soon. We're gonna hang out while Charlie's at work."

Danielle nodded. "Have fun."

"I'm sure we will," Bella said, smiling with a hint of bashfulness now.

Danielle walked toward the door with Bella after that to see her out. Bella stopped briefly to say goodbye to Lynne, then continued on. She opened the door and, with one last smile, stepped outside and started making her way across the porch. Danielle watched her go for a second, before calling out to her.

"Bella?" The girl stopped and turned with raised brows. "I'm really happy for you," she said with a sincere smile.

Bella grinned and nodded. "Thanks," she said. "I'm happy for you, too," she said in return.

"Thanks."

They shared one more smile after that, before Bella waved and went on her way, quickly making her way back to her house. Danielle lingered in the doorway for a few more seconds, before finally going back inside to finish getting ready for work.

* * *

Danielle went to work with her mother shortly after Bella left, but she was thinking about Jasper so much that it was nearly impossible to concentrate on anything she was doing. It had barely even been over twelve hours since they had parted ways, but she was already missing him like crazy. Thankfully, Jasper showed up at the bookshop about halfway through her shift, coming to visit her just as he had promised he would. Danielle was elated to see him and greeted him perhaps a bit _too_ enthusiastically, if the scandalized look that overtook an elderly woman's face when she planted a smooch on him was anything to judge by. Danielle didn't really care, though, and when she saw the twinkle in Jasper's amber eyes, she didn't think he did either.

Jasper hung around the bookshop for the remainder of the afternoon while she worked. For most of that time, he merely sat on a couch in the reading corner, alternating between flipping through a book and watching her work. Every so often, though, he would get up to follow her around while she stocked shelves, helping her carry books that were too heavy or tending to a few manly tasks when her mother enlisted his help. Danielle and Jasper talked and flirted with each other, stealing kisses whenever they were alone in a secluded part of the store and laughing and grinning like a couple of lovesick idiots the entire time. He stayed until her shift was over, then took her to dinner before whisking her away to a pretty spot that overlooked the water so they could watch the sun go down. When Jasper finally took her home, he left her with a kiss, a promise that he would come to pick her up the next morning, and another declaration of love that sent her heart soaring.

The next week seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. Jasper picked her up every single morning, then they would go to school, where they would spend as much time together as possible during the school day. Though they had made it a habit to have lunch by themselves at their table, now that Edward and Bella were officially together they started spending lunch with them. The four of them would sit together and chat the lunch hour away, slowly growing more comfortable with each other with each day. After a few days of sitting together, Jasper didn't seem quite so stiff around Bella anymore, and Edward, Danielle was happy to report, had begun to slowly open up to her. The new, tentative friendships that had begun to form between her and Edward, as well as Jasper and Bella, were very encouraging and also very welcome, especially so considering the circumstances.

Before she knew it, it was Friday. When school was over, Jasper suggested they go to the same spot they had gone to at the park the day they had gotten together. Danielle readily agreed, of course – he could have taken her to a trash heap and she still would have agreed if meant getting to spend time with him.

It was actually a fairly nice day out on this particular day – it was still chilly, but it wasn't unbearable. Danielle had discarded her jacket and was sitting close to the riverbank so that she could enjoy the sounds of the water trickling by. Jasper was on the ground right behind her, his legs stretched out on either side of her and one arm wrapped loosely around her waist. Danielle was leaning back against his chest comfortably, her eyes trained on her textbook as she worked on her history homework. Even as she worked, however, she was very aware of the fact that the fingers of Jasper's free hand were toying with one of her copper colored curls, which was making it very difficult for her to concentrate on the words in the book in front of her. When those fingers went trailing down the side of her neck, she shivered before shooting him a look over her shoulder.

Jasper face was the picture of innocence. "What?" he asked.

Danielle lifted a brow. "I'm _trying_ to do my homework so I don't have to do it over the weekend, but you're being _very_ distracting," she told him. "I'm sure school's a breeze for you now that you've graduated two hundred and ninety seven times – " she said, purposefully exaggerating the number.

"Actually, I've only graduated – " Jasper started to correct.

"But _some_ of us are still trying to make it to their _first_ graduation," Danielle finished, speaking over him. "So hands off mister, and let me get my education on," she finished, moving his hand away from her neck with purpose.

She turned her attention back to her book as Jasper huffed behind her. She smirked at the sound in amusement, before forcing herself to focus. Just as she started to become immersed in her reading again, however, Jasper touched her again. His fingertips brushed against her shoulder before they slid down the length of her arm. When his hand then slowly moved to her waist, Danielle started to ask him just what he was doing. But then, quite out of nowhere, his fingers began tickling her sides mercilessly, which immediately made her jump and break into a fit of laughter.

"Ah! St-stop!" Danielle said between laughs, her book falling to the ground as she squirmed around and tried, without success, to push Jasper's hands away.

Jasper chuckled as they rolled to the ground, Danielle landing on her back while Jasper hovered over her. "I'm sorry, what?" he asked with mock confusion. "I can't understand you."

Danielle just continued to laugh and wiggle around, alternating between pushing at Jasper's hands and whacking him on the arms. "No more! No more!" she pleaded around giggles. "I can't _breathe_!"

Jasper finally stopped tickling her, which made Danielle release a sound of relief. Now that she could focus again, she saw that he was propped up on his side beside her, his eyes glittering with mischief as he stared down at her. Danielle huffed and shoved his shoulder, but the smile never left her face.

"That was mean," she pouted.

Jasper chuckled. "I couldn't resist." He paused to stare down at her for a moment, then lifted a hand to her face and ran gentle fingertips along her cheek. "You are so beautiful," he said, his amber eyes intently studying her face.

Danielle blushed a bit, but still reached up to push back a lock of hair that had fallen into Jasper's eyes. "So are you," she said back, taking a moment to drink in his handsome features.

Jasper smiled, then swooped in to kiss her. Danielle sighed against his lips and locked an arm around his neck, her heart jumping in her chest as she happily returned his kiss. His lips were soft and gentle at first, barely even a whisper against her own. But soon he was kissing her a little firmer, slanting his mouth over hers as he coaxed her lips open and deepened their kiss. Danielle made a sound of approval against his lips, her fingers digging into his back. She tried to pull him closer so that she could feel more of him against her, but Jasper wouldn't budge and kept himself right where he was. She couldn't bring herself to be _too_ disappointed about it, not when he was kissing her like _that_.

Quite out of nowhere, a warmth that had nothing to do with the feelings Jasper was igniting within washed over her and her eyelids turned an orangey-red color. Danielle open her eyes in confusion, then squinted against the sunlight that had suddenly begun to shine through a break in the grey clouds overhead. In the next moment, Jasper lifted his head to glance up at the sun before shifting his eyes back down at her. And as their eyes met again, Danielle gasped with surprise.

Jasper was _sparkling_.

Danielle gaped at him in complete amazement. He had told her that his skin sparkled in the sunlight and she had heard Bella's description of what Edward had looked like when they had gone hiking the previous weekend, but when she had envisioned it in her head, it had not looked nearly as incredible as _this_. It was as if his skin was made of millions of tiny diamonds, each one sparkling just brilliantly as the next. She and Jasper both sat up, before she reached out to gently touch the smooth, cold skin of his hand, her eyes taking in every inch of his face as he continued to glimmer in the sunlight. Jasper said nothing, merely stared back at her as she studied him with intent eyes, waiting to hear what she would have to say. Finally, Danielle smiled.

"This is _amazing_ ," she said, her tone full of awe.

He furrowed his eyebrows a bit and lifted one sparkling hand, eyeing his own glittering skin as if he had never paid much attention to it. "I never thought it was anything all that special myself," he admitted. "I suppose I got used to it."

Danielle smiled and touched his cheek, drawing his eyes back to hers. "Trust me, Jazz. It's incredible. _You're_ incredible."

Jasper smiled then and placed the hand he had lifted on the side of her neck. "You called me Jazz," he pointed out.

Danielle blinked with surprise. She honestly hadn't even noticed the nickname when it had slipped out. Smiling, she nodded. "I did, didn't I?" But then she frowned with uncertainty. "Do you not want me to call you that?"

"You can call me that," he reassured. "Actually, some of the family calls me that from time to time," he revealed. Jasper leaned closer then, his smile turning into a smirk. "But I like it a lot more coming from you," he said, before brushing his lips against hers.

Danielle smiled against his lips and returned the kiss, sighing contentedly. She would have been more than happy to stay right there, too, kissing Jasper under the warm sun…but suddenly Jasper pulled away, his lips turning down into a deep frown as his amber eyes locked on something she couldn't see. Danielle frowned and glanced over her shoulder, before looking at Jasper.

"What is it?" she asked.

"People coming this way," he said, before casting a look up at the sun. "I need to go somewhere else before they see me," he said.

Danielle nodded in understanding. "Go."

At her simple command Jasper was gone, moving so fast that the wind he stirred up in his departure ruffled her hair a little bit. Now alone, Danielle smoothed her hands over her hair, made sure her clothes were not askew, then grabbed her history book and made it look as though she was studying once again. While she waited for the appearance of whoever Jasper had seen, she glanced up at the sun a few times, wishing for the first time since moving to Forks that it would go away so that Jasper could come back. It stubbornly stayed right where it was, though, mocking her with its bright, warm rays.

The people Jasper had seen finally appeared a few minutes later. They were a couple who looked to be in their fifties or sixties, and though they seemed a little surprised to see Danielle sitting there by the river, they still gave her friendly smiles.

"Hello," the woman greeted as they walked closer.

"Hi," Danielle said, smiling back.

"Nice day, huh?" the husband asked. "Who knew the sun was going to show it's face today?"

"I sure didn't," Danielle told him with a shrug. She'd wager Jasper hadn't known either. "It's doing wonders for my studying, though," she said, motioning to her text book.

The two looked around for a moment, the man taking in the sights while the woman peered around at the trees curiously. "Are you out here alone?" she asked, sounding the teeniest bit concerned.

Danielle shook her head. "Oh, no. My boyfriend is around here somewhere," she told them. "He thought he saw some bunnies hopping around and went to see if he could find their burrow," she lied, gesturing vaguely toward the trees.

The woman looked relieved. "Oh, good. Well, we won't keep you from your homework any longer," she said, smiling brightly.

The couple stayed long enough to admire the scenery and take a few pictures, before they said goodbye and continued on their way. Danielle watched them go until they were no longer in sight, then glanced upward as the grey clouds covered the sun again, sending the earth back into greyness and gloom. Danielle huffed to herself and shook her head.

"Figures," she muttered, thinking it ironic that the sun would go away _after_ the strangers had left.

It didn't take long for Jasper to reappear once the coast was clear. He glanced in the direction the couple had gone, then smirked down at her as he came to stand by her side. "Bunnies?" he asked, lifting a brow.

Danielle just shrugged as she peered up at him. "Best I could come up with on the fly," she excused.

Jasper just looked at her with amusement in his eyes, before extending a hand to her. "Why don't we move on from here?" he suggested. "That was a close call, and I don't want to risk it happening again."

"Sure," Danielle said.

She slipped her hand into his and allowed him to pull her up to her feet. Once they had gathered up their things, they then began making their way back to his car, walking hand in hand.

As they drove back toward town, they listened to that same country band Jasper always liked to listen to, the one that had someone who used a jug as an instrument. It had slowly begun to grow on her, so Danielle tapped her fingers against her thighs and hummed along as they drove, enjoying the song floating through the speakers. Jasper glanced at her every so often, smiling as he watched her get into the music. Before long he grabbed her free hand and pulled it up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles, his eyes turning to her fully as they stopped at a red light.

"What?" she asked with a smile when she saw the contemplative look on his handsome face. "Something on your mind?"

"Yes, actually," Jasper said. He paused, then gave her a serious look. "How would you feel about meeting Carlisle and Esme?"

Danielle's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Meet Carlisle and Esme?" she echoed. "When?"

Jasper shrugged. "Why not tonight?" he suggested.

Nervousness immediately bloomed in her belly. " _Tonight_?" she repeated with shock. "But that's so soon. I mean…that's like… _tonight_ ," she said.

Jasper had picked up on her sudden nervousness and quickly sent a comforting, calming feeling over her. "Relax, darlin'," he said, giving her a hand a gentle squeeze. When she felt more like her normal, collected self again, Jasper continued. "They've been asking me to bring you over since before we even became a couple," he revealed, which was certainly news to her. "They really want to meet you, so why not tonight while we've got some time on our hands?" He went quiet for a moment, then frowned a little. "You don't _have_ to meet them, of course," he added hastily. "If you'd rather not, then I – "

"No, no," Danielle quickly interjected before he could get the wrong idea. "I _do_ want to meet them," she said, which made him visibly relax. "You just…surprised me. That's all."

Jasper nodded in return.

When the light turned green, Jasper turned his eyes back to the road as he resumed driving. Danielle took a few silent seconds to mull over his invitation, the nervous butterflies in her belly quickly returning. Meeting Carlisle and Esme was a big deal – they were, for all intents and purposes, Jasper's _parents_ , and meeting the parents, regardless if they were vampire or human, was a big step for any couple. What if they didn't like her? What if they met her and thought she was too juvenile or too silly to be with Jasper? They were important to Jasper, and she wanted their approval, but what if she didn't get it? Things were going so well between them – did she really want to risk it all being ruined so quickly just because the rest of the family disapproved?

"What are you thinking, darlin'?" Jasper asked, glancing at her.

"I'm worried they won't like me, and that you'll break up with me if they don't approve of me," Danielle blurted out honestly.

Jasper gave her a look, then sighed and pulled the car off to the side of the road. He put the car in park, then turned in his seat to face her more fully, his expression dead serious. "First of all, they _will_ like you," he stated with confidence. "And even if they didn't – which I can promise you will _not_ be the case – there's nothing they could say that would make me change my mind about this," he said, motioning back and fort between the two of them. "I love you, Danielle. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone or anything. And nothing _– nothing_ – is going to change that."

Danielle knew he was telling her the truth, and it made her instantly breathe easier. Smiling a bit, she leaned forward to give him a quick kiss. "I love you, too," she said, which made him smile. She then sucked in a deep breath before nodding. "Okay," she said. "Let's go meet Carlisle and Esme."

Jasper raised his eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

Danielle nodded. "Yes," she said. "I just want to go home and freshen up first, then we can go."

Jasper smiled. "Alright," he said.

He soon put the car back in drive and pulled back onto the road, smiling to himself all the while. Danielle sucked in another deep breath, holding his hand tightly and telling herself not to let her nervousness get the better of her. Maybe things would be alright, she tried to encourage herself. Besides, Emmett, Alice, and Edward seemed to like her well enough – why wouldn't Carlisle and Esme like her too? Everything was going to be just fine. There was absolutely _no_ need to panic...

* * *

About forty-five minutes later, as the Cullen house came into view, all thoughts of not panicking were on the verge of being abruptly and unceremoniously thrown right out the proverbial window.

Danielle stared wide-eyed at the large, expensive house that Jasper parked in front of, her heart pounding away in her ribs. The house was well out of the Forks city limits, tucked away within the forest and probably impossible to find for anyone who had never been there before. The most noticeable thing about it were the windows, which were many in number and huge in size, practically putting the entire inside of the house on display if the lighting was right. It was still light outside at the moment, so it was a bit hard to see past some of the glares on the glass, but Danielle thought she saw someone watching Jasper's car from one of the big windows over the driveway. She gulped nervously.

"Ready?" Jasper asked, cutting the engine.

Danielle looked at him and nodded slowly, then watched as Jasper got out of the car and went around to her side to open the door. Once she was out of the car, she quickly began smoothing down her hair and her clothes out of nervous habit. She had showered and changed into a sundress that had made Jasper's eyes go dark the moment he saw her and led to him giving her a kiss that had nearly made them forget they had plans in the first place. She had touched up her makeup and tried to make herself look as presentable as possible, but despite her efforts, she _still_ felt frumpy. If Carlisle and Esme were anywhere near as beautiful as the rest of the family, she was pretty sure she'd look like a street rat compared to them no matter _how_ much primping she did.

"Don't be nervous," Jasper said, placing a hand on her cheek and making her feel another pleasant, calming feeling.

"I'm trying not to be, but when it comes to the list of Most Intimidating Things Ever, meeting your vampire boyfriend's parents is pretty high up there," she told him with a pointed look. "How do I look?" she asked, running her hands over her dress again.

Jasper smiled at her lovingly. "I have never seen anything or any _one_ more beautiful than you in my entire existence," he told her, which had her smiling despite her inner anxiety. "Now," he said, placing a quick kiss to her forehead, "let's go inside."

Danielle nodded and disentangled herself from Jasper to reach back into the car and grab the bouquet of Calla Lillies she had insisted on buying on the way over. Jasper had told her it wasn't necessary, but had given in when she kindly reminded him that she was a southerner, and as a southerner, there were few things more insulting than going to someone's house empty handed. With the flowers in hand, she finally shut the door and slipped her free hand into Jasper's. He gave her hand one last encouraging squeeze, then led her up to the front door.

She wasn't sure what to expect when they walked inside – she thought maybe she would be greeted with the sounds of classical music and conversation amongst Jasper's family, or perhaps she would walk in and immediately start spotting cool artifacts they had accumulated over the many years they had spent wandering the world. What Danielle _didn't_ expect, however, was to find herself being yanked away from Jasper the moment she crossed the threshold and lifted clear off her feet as a pair of impossibly strong, impossibly cold arms wrapped her up in a giant, freezing bear hug.

Danielle squeaked with surprise at the suddenness of it all, but then quickly realized that Emmett had been the one to greet her so enthusiastically. He hugged her for a moment longer, swaying her back and forth a bit, then put her back on her own two feet. When she could finally see him, he had a big grin on his face as he looked down at her.

"Lookee here," he said. "My favorite ginger!"

He went to ruffle her hair, but Danielle intercepted quickly, blocking him with the hand not holding the flowers and giving him a look that said she would not hesitate to karate chop him in the neck if he messed up her hair, regardless of the fact that karate chopping him _anywhere_ would inflict absolutely zero damage on his person.

"Leave the hair alone, Cullen," she warned.

Emmett held his hands up in surrender, then looked to Jasper when he planted himself at Danielle's side. "Nice of you to finally bring Dani over. We were starting to take bets on how long you planned to hog her all to yourself."

Jasper gave him an unamused look. "I wasn't hogging her," he said defensively. "And I'll thank you not to manhandle my girlfriend, otherwise I'll have no choice but to manhandle you in return," he added with a warning quirk of his eyebrows.

Emmett snorted. "I'd like to see you try, dude," he challenged.

Jasper started to say something back, but before he could get a word out, a familiar figure appeared at the top of the stairs located not far from where they stood. It was Alice, looking breathtakingly beautiful, just as she always did. Currently she stood with her arms crossed over her chest, regarding her two brothers with disapproval.

"Don't you two ever give it a rest?" she asked with exasperation.

"He started it," Jasper said, gesturing toward Emmett.

Emmett opened his mouth to retort, but Alice beat him to the punch. "Well, _I'm_ finishing it before you scare the daylights out of Dani," she said. Alice finally looked at Danielle, and almost instantly her face lit up with a bright smile. The vampire hurried down the steps then gave her an enthusiastic hug that caught Danielle of guard. "I'm glad you're here, by the way," she said, releasing her and taking a step back. "You look beautiful," she complimented. "I love that dress!"

"Thank you," Danielle said with a slight blush.

"Come on up!" Alice encouraged, linking her arm with Danielle's. The coldness of her body didn't even phase her. "Carlisle and Esme can hardly _wait_ to meet you!"

Alice started to lead her upstairs, leaving Danielle with no choice but to go with her. While Alice chatted away about Lord knows what, Danielle shot a look at Jasper over her shoulder. He smiled encouragingly, but then became distracted when Emmett lured him into a brief and subtle shoving match now that Alice's back was turned. They only stopped when Alice, who clearly knew what was going on behind them, gave them a sharp look, which finally had the two vampires following them up the stairs.

The second floor appeared to be the living room, kitchen, and dining area, though she spied a few doors that looked like they went into bedrooms or perhaps studies. It was tastefully decorated with mostly modern furniture, but Danielle spied several interesting looking items and decorations nearly everywhere she looked. There was also soft music playing, and when saw the same record player that she and Jasper had danced to the week before after the Spring Fling stationed in the corner of the room, she couldn't help but smile fondly at the memories it brought up.

Danielle looked up at Jasper as he appeared by her side again, gently disentangling her arm from Alice's so that she could shift the flowers in her hands and link her arm around Jasper's instead. He smiled down at her and patted her hand, then nodded toward the kitchen area. Danielle's followed his gaze, then immediately froze.

Carlisle and Esme, the only two vampires from the Cullen clan she had not seen or met, had just stepped out of the kitchen and were now looking at her with friendly, albeit curious, looks on their faces. Just as she had suspected, they were insanely good looking. Carlisle was blonde and handsome, looking no more than thirty years of age, his expression kind and welcoming. Esme was tucked into his side, standing just tall enough to reach his shoulder. She didn't look much older than thirty either, and had long dark hair and a sweet, inviting face. There was an overall inviting aura surrounding the two of them, one that immediately put Danielle at ease and made all of her previous anxiety a thing of the past.

Jasper tugged on her arm to get her moving again. Once they were a few feet away from his parents, he pulled her into his side, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Danielle, it is my very great pleasure to introduce you to Carlisle and Esme Cullen," he said. "Carlisle, Esme…this is Danielle," he said, smiling down at her with love and pride shining clear as day in his eyes.

Danielle smiled up at Jasper for a quick second, then stepped out of his embrace so that she could shake their hands. They seemed pleasantly surprised by how willingly she approached them, both of them breaking into big, friendly smiles as she shook Carlisle's hand first, then Esme's. "It's so wonderful to meet you both," Danielle said.

"It's wonderful to meet _you_ ," Carlisle said back, his voice smooth and soothing. "Jasper has told us such wonderful things about you, Danielle."

"Likewise," Danielle said. "These are for you, by the way," she added, offering them the flowers she still held in her hand.

"Oh, how lovely," Esme said in a voice that was light and pleasing to the ear. She took the flowers and gave them a smell, the smile on her face never faltering. "These smell exquisite. Thank you so much, it was very kind of you," she said, inclining her head to Danielle. "I'll just go put them in some water."

While Esme headed into the kitchen, Carlisle caught Danielle's eye and motioned toward the couches in the living room. "Why don't we have a seat?"

"Sure."

Danielle led the way to the living room, followed by Jasper and the rest of the Cullen's. She eased down onto one of the sofas, smiling at Jasper as he sat down next to her and grabbed her hand. Emmett sat on her other side, lounging casually, while Carlisle and Alice sat down on the couch directly across from them. Danielle realized then that neither Edward, nor Rosalie, was present. Edward, she assumed, was out with Bella somewhere. As for Rosalie, however, there was really no telling where _she_ was.

Danielle looked at Carlisle, who smiled gently when their gazes met. As young as he looked in the face and in his physique, there was an enormous amount of wisdom in his eyes. She supposed that shouldn't have come as a surprise, seeing as Jasper had told her that Carlisle was over three hundred years old.

"As we understand it, you've only been here for a few months," the older vampire started conversationally. "How are you enjoying Forks?"

"It's good," Danielle said with a nod. "I'll be honest, I wasn't really sold on the town at first," she proceeded to admit. "But it's really grown on me. Everyone is really nice and I've met some really incredible people," she finished, unable to help shooting Jasper an adoring smile.

"And by incredible people, she means _me_ of course," Emmett interjected with a smirk.

Danielle turned to give him a look. "I mean, you're _alright_ ," she said with a shrug, unable to resist teasing him. "Incredible might be giving yourself a little too much credit, Big Foot."

Emmett looked offended, while Jasper and Alice both chuckled gleefully. Even Carlisle let out a quick laugh of amusement. "Why do you keep _calling_ me that?" Emmett demanded.

"No reason," she said, before shooting a knowing look with Jasper. He winked at her in return.

Esme came strolling back into the living room, having now moved the flowers to an absolutely gorgeous looking crystal vase. "Here we are," she announced, setting them on the coffee table between the two couches. She then sat down between Carlisle and Alice, turning a pretty smile on Danielle. "Thank you again, Danielle. The flowers are beautiful."

"You're very welcome," Danielle said with a nod. "Where I come from, you just don't turn up to someone's house empty handed. That's a sin in the south, I'm pretty sure."

Esme and Carlisle laughed gently at those words. "Well, we appreciate the gesture," Esme said. "And speaking of the south, you're from Houston, yes? Just like our Jasper," she said, giving Jasper a fond, motherly smile.

"I am," Danielle confirmed. "Though I'm sure Houston is a lot different now than it was when you were there," she said to Jasper.

"I'd imagine so," Jasper agreed with a nod.

They shared another smile and squeezed each other's hands. She only looked away when Carlisle spoke again. "Why don't you tell us about yourself, Danielle?" he suggested. The friendly smile on his face hadn't budged even a millimeter. "We'd very much like to get to know you better."

Danielle began to tell them anything she could think of. She talked about her mother and how she had raised her practically single handedly. They asked about her father, but Danielle simply told them that he and her mother had divorced when she had been very young and that she hadn't seen or spoken to him since, nor did she even know where he might be living today. They moved on from the subject of her father quickly and she started telling them about what it had been like to live in Houston, from summertime adventures with her friends to vacations to her grandmother's house in the country and everything in between. The whole time she talked, the Cullen's listened on with great interest, interjecting here or there with questions or comments. Danielle had never been one who liked being the center of attention, but she found that she didn't mind it so much at the moment. She felt inexplicably at ease with the Cullen's, all of whom seemed equally eager to get to know her better.

Thanks to Jasper, she already knew quite a bit about the Cullen family history – she knew that Carlisle had been around since the 1640's, and that he was the one who had turned everyone but Jasper and Alice. She also knew of the circumstances surrounding the events when everyone else had been turned – excluding Jasper, who still had not told her how he had come to be a vampire – and that most of them had been on the brink of death before Carlisle introduced them to their new lives. The only mystery in the family was Alice, who did not remember her human life, where she had come from, or who had made her. So when Danielle grew tired of talking about herself, she did not ask the Cullen's about how they had become vampires or how old they were. Instead, Danielle asked them about their hobbies and interests so that she could get to know them on a more personal level. Carlisle loved to read and, of course, was a skilled doctor. Esme loved art and music and enjoyed restoring houses. As for Alice, she was all about fashion, and Emmett, unsurprisingly, loved anything and everything do with sports, something Danielle had already learned about him when they had first started becoming friends.

They sat there talking and laughing for at least an hour, and in all, she was feeling pretty good about the way things were going so far. Alice and Emmett were their usual friendly selves, Jasper seemed very happy about the fact that she was spending time with his family, and, thus far, Carlisle and Esme seemed to like her. The atmosphere around them was a friendly and comfortable and they were all having a good time.

But all of that changed when Rosalie finally decided to make an appearance and see for herself what exactly was going on. She had apparently been upstairs, and as she cane walking down into the living room, it almost immediately felt as though the temperature dropped by about twenty degrees. She crossed her arms over her chest, eyes narrowed some as she stared straight at Danielle. Danielle pressed her lips together and unconsciously leaned closer to Jasper, seeking the comfort and protection he had to offer.

"Having fun with the human?" she asked in greeting, and the tone she used was _not_ a friendly one.

Danielle blinked uncertainly, unsure how she should respond. Jasper, however, frowned and tensed next to her. "Her name is _Danielle,_ " he said defensively.

"Right," Rosalie said flatly, sounding completely uninterested.

There was a beat of uncomfortable silence. Emmett was the one to break it. "Babe, why don't you come sit down?" he suggested. "Dani was just about to start telling us all of her most embarrassing moments so that we can hold them over her head for the rest of her life," he joked, clearly trying to diffuse the tension.

His words pulled a few small, forced laughs from Carlisle, Esme, and Alice, while Danielle have him a grateful smile for his attempt to lighten the mood. Jasper, however, was still stiff as a board next to her as he gave his sister a hard look, and Rosalie looked anything _but_ amused.

"I think I'll pass," she said coolly. "Entertaining humans isn't really my forte."

With that she turned and started in the direction of the front door. At the same moment, Carlisle stood, the smile that had been on his face finally disappearing. "Rosalie," he said, his tone tinged with just the barest hint of authority. Rosalie froze at once, then turned back around to face him. "Stay here, please."

Rosalie made no more moves to leave. Satisfied she wasn't going anywhere, Carlisle looked to Danielle and Jasper again, smiling gently. "Jasper, why don't you give Danielle a tour of the rest of the house?" he suggested.

Jasper stared at Rosalie for another moment, his amber eyes a tick darker with what looked like anger, before he blinked and nodded to Carlisle. "Of course." He then stood up and smiled gently at Danielle, offering a hand. "Come with me, darlin'," he encouraged.

Danielle nodded, then slipped her hand into Jasper's and stood from the couch. She cast one last look at Rosalie, who was staring back at her with crossed arms and narrowed eyes, before Jasper led her to a set of stairs that went up to the top floor. Danielle frowned as they climbed the stairs, able to hear hushed voices in the living room as they left. She chanced a look up at Jasper, who was frowning to himself, and could only assume that whatever conversation now taking place between the rest of the Cullen's likely wasn't a good one.

Jasper seemed to realize she was looking at him and met her eyes, a small, quick smile flitting across his handsome face. "Most of our bedrooms are up here," he told her as they reached the top floor. "This one is Emmett and Rosalie's," he said, motioning to a door on the left. "That one is Edward's, and that one is Alice's," he said next as they passed two more doors. "Carlisle and Esme have a room downstairs. Probably to get away from us _kids_ ," he joked with a smirk.

Danielle nodded, then raised her brows. "Where's _your_ room?"

Jasper jerked his head toward a room at the end of the hall, then guided her in that direction. They stepped through the open door, then Danielle released Jasper's hand so she could walk around the room and peer around with curiosity. It wasn't too much bigger than her own bedroom, but it was significantly tidier. One wall was nothing but a huge bookshelf filled with what had to be hundreds of books. A different wall had a desk pushed up against it, which had a few stacks of papers and school books, while next to the desk was a door that she assumed opened up to his closet. There weren't many decorations and there wasn't a bed, but there was a little reading nook set up by a large glass door that opened up to a small balcony. She paused at the reading nook when she saw a small table that had one lone picture frame on it. Picking up the frame, she smiled as she realized it was their picture from the dance the week before. Danielle couldn't resist smiling at him, a gesture he returned.

"I like it in here," she said, setting the picture back down. She sat down on the couch in the reading nook and sucked in a deep breath, noting that the room smelled distinctly of Jasper. "It's…cozy. And very you," she added, nodding.

Jasper came to sit down next to her, sitting close so that he could wrap an arm around her shoulders. Danielle leaned into him, smiling as he kissed her temple. "I like you being here," he admitted. He smiled and pulled her even closer. "If only you knew how many times I have envisioned having you here like this, wrapped up in my arms in this little nook as we hid away from the rest of the world," he murmured, nuzzling her hair affectionately.

Danielle lifted a brow. "You envisioned us _just_ sitting here?" she teased with a smirk.

Jasper eyes flashed mischievously. "Among other things," he answered, his gaze momentarily dropping to her lips.

Danielle grinned, then sighed and settled her head on his shoulder. As a brief silence passed between them, she found herself beginning to think about whatever might be taking place downstairs between the rest of the Cullen's. When she lifted her head to look at Jasper's expression, his eyes were in the door and she could tell that he was using his vampire hearing to eavesdrop on the conversation downstairs.

"How bad is it?" she asked.

Jasper looked back down to her quickly, then heaved. "Not any worse than I expected. Rosalie doesn't approve of us, or of Edward and Bella, and she's not shy about admitting to that. Carlisle and the others are trying to convince her to give you a chance, but she's being stubborn." When Danielle frowned, Jasper grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm sorry, darlin'. I know it bothers you."

"I mean, I shouldn't really be surprised. You _did_ warn me that it would take some time for her to come around." Danielle sighed helplessly. "I guess I just hoped it wouldn't take _this_ long."

"It'll get better, I promise," he said with a reassuring nod. "Rosalie just acts this way because she's afraid something will go wrong. That and, well…" He paused to glance toward the door again. "She's _jealous_ of you and Bella," he admitted in a hushed voice, as if he was afraid someone, like Rosalie, would hear him say that.

Danielle raised her brows at him in disbelief. "Jealous? Of _us_? But she's… _Rosalie_ ," she said with a shake of her head, not understanding why in the _world_ someone as gorgeous and graceful as Rosalie would be jealous of her or Bella.

Jasper smiled. "Yes, but _you_ are human. If Rosalie had a choice, she never would have chosen to walk this earth as a vampire. She misses being a human, and envies you for your mortality."

"Huh," Danielle grunted, needing a moment to let that one soak in. "So basically as long as I'm a living, breathing human, Rosalie is going to hate me?" she summarized.

Jasper cringed. "I sincerely hope not."

It didn't really answer the question, but she figured it was the best she was going to get. Sighing to herself, she let her head fall back to his shoulder, trying not to feel discouraged. Jasper must have picked up on the shift in her emotions, because he tightened the arm he had around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Don't worry, darlin'. It'll be alright," he said. "The _rest_ of the family likes you. It's only a matter of time before Rosalie comes around, too."

"They do?" she asked hopefully.

Jasper smiled. "Of _course_ they do. Alice thinks you're great for me, Edward has nothing but good things to say about you, and I saw the way Carlisle and Esme were with you. They like you already. And you already _know_ Emmett adores you," he stated pointedly.

Danielle smiled a bit. "I like them, too," she said with a nod. "But I don't want this _thing_ with Rosalie to keep going the way it is," she said with a sigh. "She's your family, Jazz, and I want her to like me, too. Or, at the very least, _tolerate_ me," she added with a look.

Jasper contemplated her words then raised his eyebrows. "I could always speak with her about it," he said. "I've been trying to give her time and space to come to terms with us being together, but if it really upsets you, I can say something to her about her behavior."

Danielle immediately shook her head. "No. That'll probably just make it worse," she said. "We'll just…give it some more time," she finished with a nod.

"Alright then," Jasper agreed.

They heard a door slam downstairs in the next moment, which had them both looking toward Jasper's bedroom door. Jasper heaved and gave her a look, which, considering the circumstances, led her to believe that Rosalie had finally left. Jasper grabbed her hand and, without saying anything, pulled her to her feet and led her back out of the bedroom. Once they were making their way back down to the living room, Danielle saw that Esme and Carlisle were speaking to one another in hushed tones. Alice looked annoyed as she glared at the front door, and Emmett just seemed disappointed. Rosalie was nowhere in sight.

"She left then?" Jasper asked stiffly.

"You're surprised?" Emmett asked with a huff.

Jasper frowned. "No, not really."

Emmett heaved, then shook his head and gave Danielle a look of apology. "I'm sorry for the way she's acting, Dani," he told her sincerely. "Rose can be… _difficult_ …sometimes."

Danielle just offered up a shrug and a smile. "It's alright, Em. She'll come around in her own time, right?"

Emmett smiled, but it looked a little forced. "Yeah," he agreed. His tone wasn't all that convincing, though.

"Danielle?" She looked away from Emmett and turned her attention to Carlisle, who had stopped speaking to Esme and had taken a few steps in her direction. A kind smile was on his lips again. "I was wondering if we could have a word in private?" Carlisle asked.

Danielle looked at Jasper, who only looked mildly surprised. "S-sure," she agreed, trying not to sound as nervous as she suddenly felt.

Carlisle inclined his head, then motioned for her to follow him out of the living room. Danielle shared one last look with Jasper, who squeezed her hand and sent a calming wave over her, before she went to Carlisle's side and allowed him to lead her away from the others.

They walked through a door that was near the stairs leading down to the first floor. They had entered a marvelous looking study, which looked as though it housed _thousands_ of books and had some incredible pieces of artwork on any open wall or tabletop. Danielle blinked in amazement, momentarily stunned by the grandiose of the room, until Carlisle placed a cold, gentle hand on her shoulder to catch her attention.

"Please, sit," he encouraged, gesturing to one of the chairs sitting before a large, mahogany desk.

Danielle sat down, watching, but not hearing, Carlisle walk around to the opposite side of the desk and take a seat himself. His expression was friendly, but the whole situation suddenly made her feel like she was on a job interview, leaving her to gulp nervously and discreetly wipe her hands on the skirt of her dress.

"I would like to follow Emmett's example and apologize for Rosalie's behavior toward you, Danielle," he said to break the silence. "I had hoped your first visit to our home would be a pleasant one, and it saddens me to think she may have caused you any discomfort."

Danielle blinked, then smiled and shook her head. "It's alright, Mr. Cullen," she said quickly. "You don't have to apologize. I've enjoyed my visit here. And, to be honest, I'm kinda getting _used_ to Rosalie acting like that," she admitted with a small cringe.

Carlisle frowned a bit. "I would prefer you _didn't_ have to get used to it," he countered.

"Me, too," she agreed. "But it is what it is, and at the end of the day, I'm not here for Rosalie. I'm here for Jasper. As long as _he_ still likes my company, we're good to go," she said with a small, joking smile.

Carlisle smiled at her again. "I think it safe to say that Jasper more than just _likes_ your company, Danielle," he pointed out with slightly raised brows.

She couldn't help but blush a little, feeling fairly certain that Carlisle – and the rest of the Cullen's, for that matter – knew the exact extent of their feelings for one another.

Carlisle eyed her for a moment or two, before speaking again. "I have to be honest with you…I was a little _worried_ when Jasper first told me about you. As you already know, Jasper has had his struggles when it comes to maintaining our diet. Human blood always had a strong effect on him. But when he met _you_ …I don't think I've ever seen him as worked up as he was the day your paths crossed for the first time. I feared for your safety, Danielle. I truly did," he confessed.

Danielle nodded slowly. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little afraid of him at first," she said. "I didn't understand why he acted that way. And I think even then, deep down, something in my gut was trying to tell me that he wasn't just some normal, teenaged guy," she explained.

"I am not surprised to hear that," Carlisle said. "We are, technically, predators, which means your instincts would try to warn you away from us for your own safety," he explained. "But I _am_ surprised how quickly you seemed to forgive him when he came to apologize to you," he admitted with a raised brow. "Especially so, if you were already wary of him."

"I _wanted_ to hold it against him. In fact, I planned to give him an earful and make sure he knew that the way he acted was _not_ okay." Carlisle smiled at that, looking a bit amused. "But when he came to the bookshop with Emmett, I could see he felt terrible about what had happened and I knew he regretted it. I dunno…I just didn't have it in me to make him suffer anymore than he already was, you know?" she said with a sigh. "Jasper put himself out there by coming to talk to me. I figured the least I could do in return was give him a chance to prove he was better than how he acted when we first met," she said with a shrug.

Carlisle nodded in understanding. "You're the first human who has really taken the initiative to get to know Jasper," he said. "You treated him like he was normal, and considering how uncertain he has been of himself for all these years, having someone befriend him the way you did was a very big deal for him."

Danielle smiled at that. There was a brief silence, before she broke it with a question. "Just out of curiosity, are you still worried?" she asked, referring to what Carlisle had said a few moments ago. "You know, about my safety?"

Carlisle pressed his lips together for a moment. "I will be honest with you. I think there will always be a part of me that will worry, simply because I do not want to see anything go badly between you and Jasper," he admitted. "But I trust Jasper. I have always had faith in him, even when he did not have faith in himself. And I've seen a significant change in Jasper since he met you. We _all_ have. He's more confident, more calm, and he doesn't seem to be struggling with our lifestyle nearly as much as he was. But, and perhaps most importantly of all, he's _happy_. I have never once seen Jasper as happy as he is now, and it's because of you. So, to answer your question, yes, I may worry still. But I do not think anything bad will happen. You are too important to him."

Danielle was relieved that she and Carlisle saw things the same way. "I don't think anything bad will happen, either," she said. "I trust him completely, and I _know_ he will never harm me," she said with a firm, resolute nod.

Carlisle gave her a large, pleased smile. "Jasper told me that you had unwavering faith in him. Though, admittedly, he also told me he still does not quite understand _how_ you can trust him so much."

Danielle sighed and shrugged. "It's a pretty simple answer – I _love_ him." Carlisle's smile grew even wider. "I know he sees himself as a threat and a danger, but I don't. I think he's wonderful and incredible and far stronger than he realizes, and all I want is for him to see himself the way that _I_ see him," she openly admitted.

"I believe he is starting to," Carlisle assured her with a nod. "And I thank you for that, Danielle. All we have ever wanted was for him to be happy, and now he is. A human and a vampire being in this sort of relationship is certainly an oddity," he said with slightly raised brows, "but you're very good for Jasper. I just want you to know that Esme and I are very glad the two of you have found one another, and we are very supportive of your relationship with Jasper."

Danielle smiled, feeling a huge sense of really to hear Carlisle's obvious approval. "Thank you, Mr. Cullen. It means a lot to hear you say that."

Carlisle inclined his head. "You are welcome. And please, call me Carlisle," he encouraged.

"Alright...Carlisle," Danielle said with a nod.

There was a momentary silence, before Carlisle tilted his head curiously. "Has Jasper told you about his life before we took him in?"

Danielle shook her head. "Not really. He mentioned that he had a tumultuous past, but he didn't seem to wanna go into detail," she answered, frowning slightly.

"Does that bother you?" Carlisle asked her.

"That he didn't go into detail, or that he has a rocky history?"

"Both," Carlisle clarified.

Danielle thought about it, then shrugged. "If he isn't ready to tell me, then I'm not gonna try to force him. He'll tell me when he's ready to," she said. "As for his history, well...I don't know what happened, but I _do_ know that I don't like the thought of anything _bad_ happening to him," she said with a frown.

Carlisle nodded in understanding. "Yes, the thought disturbs me as well. But as you and I both already know, Jasper is strong. And with you by his side, he will only be stronger. I am certain that now that he has you, he is only thinking of the _future_ , not his past."

"We haven't really talked about the future yet, either," Danielle said before she could stop herself. "I _hope_ I'm in his future, though."

"You will be, of that I have no doubt," Carlisle said, which instantly made relief rush through her. "So then I take it he _hasn't_ told you about Alice's visions yet?" Carlisle asked next.

Danielle frowned at once, her previous relief turning to uncertainty. This was not the first time a Cullen had mentioned Alice's apparent visions concerning her future. "I know that she _has_ visions, and Jasper told me that she's had a few about me, but he didn't go into detail," she said slowly. "Why?" she couldn't help but ask. "Has she seen something I should know about?"

Carlisle opened his mouth to respond, but before he could get even a word out, there was a knock on the door to the office. They both turned as the door opened to reveal Jasper, who first gave Carlisle a look Danielle couldn't decipher, before then turning his attention her.

"Sorry to interrupt, but your phone has rung three times," he said, holding out the purse she had left in the living room. "I'm guessing it's probably your mother."

Danielle blinked, realized she had never told her mother where she was going, then smacked her forehead. "Crap. I didn't tell her I was coming here!"

She hurried out of the chair to grab her purse from Jasper, before fishing around inside until she finally found the phone. Sure enough, her mother had called three times, as well as sent her a text asking where she was. Cringing, she shot Carlisle an apologetic look. "I should call her back before she tells Bella's dad I've disappeared and gets the whole squad looking for me."

"Of course," Carlisle said understandingly.

With that being said, she stepped back out of the office to call her mother, squeezing Jasper's arm along the way. It didn't escape her notice that Jasper kept his eyes locked on Carlisle, his expression still that same, unreadable mask. She smiled briefly at the other three Cullen's still loitering around in the living room and went off to the side, dialing her mother's number and pressing the phone to her ear. Lynne answered on the second ring.

" _Danielle Katherine Clark,_ where in the _world_ are you?" she demanded, completely skipping over friendly greetings.

"I'm okay! I'm just at Jasper's house!" she reassured.

"And you didn't think to call me and tell me where you were going? Or at least leave a _note_?" Lynne asked next, sounding thoroughly irritated. "You had better _not_ be alone with that boy in his house, Danielle! If his parents aren't there, so help me God I will – "

"We're not alone, I swear," Danielle interrupted hastily. "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going. Jasper and I decided to come over here kind of last minute, and I was so busy getting ready and having a mild _panic_ _attack_ at the thought of meeting his parents that I completely forgot to tell you we were coming here. I'm sorry for worrying you. I really am," she concluded sincerely.

Lynne heaved. "It's okay, I guess," she said, her tone far less angry now. "You just _know_ how much I worry, especially when it comes to you."

"I know. I'm sorry," she apologized yet again.

"You're forgiven," Lynne finally said, which made Danielle relax. "So, how's it going?" Lynne asked next, sounding very curious now.

Danielle glanced at the Cullen's, who were talking amongst themselves and seemed to be doing their best to give her some privacy. She knew they could probably hear everything that was being said, though. Vampire hearing likely had its perks. "I think it's going alright," she said quietly. "His family is really nice. I like them a lot." She definitely noticed when Esme, Alice, and Emmett all smiled as she voiced her approval.

"That's good," Lynne said, a smile evident in her tone. "Are you planning to stay for dinner?"

Danielle frowned. "I don't know, actually," she said. Seeing as the Cullen's didn't _eat_ normal human food, she seriously doubted they had anything in the house to make dinner with. But then, suddenly, Alice was in front of her and nodding her head vigorously, which makes Danielle smile. "Never mind. I've just been told that yes, I should stay for dinner."

"Alright," Lynne said. "Just don't stay out _too_ late, okay?"

"I won't," Danielle promised. "I'll let you know when I'm on my way home."

"Sounds good. See you in a bit."

"Bye, mom."

Danielle ended the call, then looked to Alice with raised brows. "After I saw that you and Jasper were coming over, Em and I ran out to get some food for you," Alice explained with a shrug. "We'd be pretty horrible hosts if we just let you sit here and starve, wouldn't we?"

Danielle smiled. "I wouldn't say _horrible_ , but that's very nice of you to go out of your way."

"We thought so, too," Alice joked with a smirk. "So you just make yourself comfortable and prepare to be wowed by our incredible cooking prowess," she said with a smile.

Danielle laughed. "Yes, ma'am," she said with a small, joking salute.

Alice smirked and raised her brows at Esme, who had left the couch and come to stand next to Alice. "I like this one. She already knows who's boss around here," she joked.

Esme just laughed and shook her head at Alice, before smiling kindly at Danielle. "Don't mind her. We just let her _think_ she's in charge so she'll feel better about herself," she teased.

"Hey!" Alice said in offence, while Danielle giggled at the jibe.

Esme laughed, then patted Danielle on the arm. "Go and make yourself comfortable, Danielle. We'll have dinner ready soon enough."

Danielle finally nodded, then, as the two vampires went into the kitchen, she went to sit down next to Emmett. It was only then that she realized Jasper and Carlisle were still talking in Carlisle's office, and that the door was closed to block them from view. She frowned a bit, wondering what they were talking about, unable to shake the suspicion that Jasper had been displeased with something he had overheard. She frowned at the door a little longer, but then forced herself to focus on Emmett as he nudged her with his elbow and turned on the television, quickly flipping to the baseball game before launching into detail about all the different players.

By the time Jasper and Carlisle reappeared, things seemed to actually be fine between them. Carlisle gave her an easy smile and went to help Alice and Esme in the kitchen, while Jasper joined her and Emmett on the sofa to watch the game. When he sat down next to her and draped an arm around her shoulders, she raised her brows at him in silent question, asking him with her eyes if everything was alright. When he gave her a lopsided smile and nodded, Danielle decided that she must have just been reading into things and that nothing was amiss between Jasper and Carlisle.

* * *

It took about half an hour for the Cullen's to bring her dinner, and though she hadn't been sure whether or not they actually knew _how_ to cook, she was pleasantly surprised by how good the dish they prepared was. They showed her to a dining room and they all set down around the table, and though Danielle hesitated at first, feeling self conscious about eating in front of them, her own hunger soon won out and she began to eat the delicious food they had provided.

They continued to talk over dinner, the mood around them much lighter and much friendlier now that Rosalie was gone. After she finished eating, she insisted on taking the dish to the kitchen herself and washing it in the sink, claiming the Cullen's had done more than enough and that she should at least help clean up after dinner, especially since she was the only one to eat. Esme refused however, and had snatched the plate out of her hand and disappeared into the kitchen before Danielle had a chance to even blink, let alone protest further.

They finally decided to call it a night around nine thirty, when Jasper caught her trying to suppress a yawn. Because it had been such a good time, Danielle was hesitant to go, but after Esme and Carlisle assured her that she was welcome any time, she finally gave in. Danielle hugged them all goodbye, which none of the Cullen's seemed to mind, then, after promising Esme and Carlisle she would come back and visit as soon as possible, she and Jasper left and were back on their way to her house.

"That was really fun," Danielle said with a smile. "I like Carlisle and Esme a lot. Alice, too."

"I knew y'all would get along just fine," Jasper said with a nod and pleased smile, one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding hers.

Danielle smirked. "You just said _y'all,_ " she pointed out. "Since when are you so _southern_?"

Jasper smirked at her and quirked a brow. "Darlin', I've been southern a lot longer than _you_ have," he reminded her. "Being with you just brings it out of me, I suppose."

Danielle grinned. "I like it," she admitted. "It's kinda, you know... _sexy_."

Jasper lifted his brows very high at that, surprise evident in his eyes, which just made her grin even wider. After a moment he cleared his throat and forced his gaze back to the road. "Talk about something else," he said, his voice a bit deeper than normal. "I need something to distract me."

"From what?" she asked with a frown of confusion.

"Doing something _very_ inappropriate," he stated with a meaningful look.

Danielle flushed a little, then had to clear her own throat. Was it just her, or was it hotter in the car than it had been a few seconds ago? "Okay." She thought about what to say for a moment, which took longer than it should have because her brain felt like it wasn't working properly after that look he'd given her, before she finally lifted a curious brow. "Carlisle said something about Alice having visions about me," she said. "Are they the same ones you already mentioned?"

Jasper pressed his lips together, his brows furrowing a bit. He suddenly didn't look as relaxed as he had been a few seconds ago. "Yes," he answered.

Danielle waited to see if he would elaborate, but he didn't. "Are you gonna _tell_ me about them?" she asked.

Jasper glanced at her, then sighed. "The thing about Alice's visions is that they aren't always completely accurate," he reminded her. "Just because she sees something, that doesn't necessarily mean it will come true."

Danielle frowned. She could tell that Jasper was still trying to avoid having to give her a direct answer. "So…has she seen something _bad_ then? Something you're hoping won't come true?" she asked with trepidation.

Jasper hesitated again. "No, I wouldn't say it's _bad_ ," he finally answered. "But as for whether or not I want it to come true, I'm still…figuring that part out," he finished slowly.

Danielle blinked, having absolutely no idea what to make of that response. "Well, that's a confusing answer," she said bluntly.

Jasper sighed, then brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I'm sorry for being so vague. I just don't think now is the proper moment to talk about what Alice has seen," he said. "But we _will_ talk about it someday, when the time is right," he said, giving her a serious look. "I promise."

Danielle was _very_ tempted to pry further, just because all of the mystery surrounding these visions was making her all the more eager to know what Alice had seen. But when she saw the look in Jasper's eyes, the one that was pleading with her not to try to make him talk about it anymore, she sighed and squeezed his hand. If he didn't want to talk about it, then she shouldn't force him. She could be patient, right?

"Alright," she conceded.

Jasper smiled, looking relieved. "Thank you for understanding, darlin'."

Danielle smiled back. "You're welcome."

But as she turned her eyes to the window to watch the scenery jump by, she told herself that she _would_ find out what these visions were all about. Clearly it was something big, if even _Carlisle_ knew about them, but she just didn't know what it was. She would someday, though, and hopefully that day would be soon _._

* * *

 **Thoughts?**


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Thank you for reading, thank you for your support, and thank you for your kind reviews! Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's!**

* * *

 ** _Chapter Fourteen_**

Saturday morning, Danielle decided that it had been far too long since she and Bella had been able to spend some good, quality time together. As much as she loved being with Jasper, and as much as she was sure that Bella was loving being with Edward, the fact that they lived across the street from each other and barely got any one on one time these days was absolutely absurd. So as soon as Lynne and Charlies had both departed for work, she marched right across the street to the Swan house and knocked on the door, determined to get her friend to hang out with her for the morning – no vampires allowed.

It only took a few moments for the door to open, revealing the smiling face of Bella. Danielle wasn't very surprised at all to see Edward standing behind her. He was, after all, still spending every single night in Bella's bedroom. Unbeknownst to Charlie, of course.

"Hey, Dani!" Bella greeted cheerily.

"Hey, Bella. Hey, Edward," Danielle said with a smile and a nod to each.

"Hello, Dani," Edward said back. Danielle blinked in surprise for a second, then smiled even wider at Edward's use of her nickname – it was the first time he had called her ' _Dani'_ instead of ' _Danielle'_ , and she couldn't help but feel as if that meant they had finally, officially crossed over into friendship territory. "Sorry I couldn't be there for the get together yesterday evening," he said. "I heard you made quite the impression on Carlisle and Esme, though."

"A _good_ impression, I hope," she said cautiously.

Edward smiled and nodded. "A _very_ good one," he assured her.

Danielle breathed easier and smiled widely. After how worried and panicked she had been to meet them, it was nice to have it confirmed that they did indeed like her and that she _hadn't_ just dreamt the part where Carlisle gave her his approval. "Whew," she said, joking wiping away non-existent sweat from her forehead. "That's a relief!"

Bella and Edward both laughed, though Danielle couldn't help but notice that Bella's sounded a bit more nervous. "It's my turn next," she revealed, which had Danielle lifting her brows. "Since things went so well when Jasper took _you_ over, Edward decided it would be safe to take _me_ over there. We're going this afternoon for lunch."

"Oh, I see," Danielle said, turning a smirk on Edward. "You let me be the guinea pig, huh?"

Edward smirked at her, his eyes alight with amusement. "I didn't _plan_ it that way. It's just how it worked out," he said with aloof shrug.

"Uh huh," Danielle said, unconvinced. "Anyway," she continued, looking back to Bella. "I actually _did_ have a reason for coming over her," she told her.

"What's up?" Bella asked, her brows furrowed curiously. "Did you need something?"

Danielle nodded. "Yes, actually. I need you to put on your shoes, grab your keys, and come with me to the diner," she stated bluntly.

Bella blinked in confusion and shot a look at Edward. "The diner? What for?" Bella asked, looking back to Danielle.

Danielle resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her friend's obliviousness. " _Breakfast_ , of course," she answered with raised brows. "It feels like it's been a lifetime since you and I just had some good ol' fashioned bonding time, so since it's Saturday and we have all this spare time, I figured we'd kick our vampires to the curb for the morning and hang out," she explained. Danielle then shrugged at Edward. "No offence."

Edward held up a hand. "None taken."

Danielle looked back to Bella, who was gnawing on her bottom lip with indecision and glancing between her and Edward with uncertain eyes. Clearly the thought of leaving Edward's side was one that she wasn't crazy about, but she didn't seem to want to decline Danielle's invitation either. "You won't mind if Dani and I hang out for a bit, will you?" she asked.

Edward immediately shook his head. "No, of course not. In fact, I agree with Dani. You two should spend some time together," he encouraged. "We'll be together this afternoon anyway," he reminded her. "I think I can survive if we're apart for a few hours."

Bella smiled. "Okay," she said, before nodding to Danielle. "Let me just get my shoes on then we can go."

Danielle and Edward both watched Bella disappear upstairs, then turned back to each other once they were alone. "So," Danielle said, crossing her arms over her chest and raising her brows. "Taking her to meet the parents. That's a big step," she pointed out.

"It was a big step for you and Jasper, too," Edward reminded her. "I just hope now that _our_ visit will go as well as yours did," he added, the small smile on his lips tinged with nervousness.

"I'm sure it will," Danielle replied optimistically. "Assuming, of course, _Rosalie_ isn't there," she added with a quirked brow. "She certainly didn't roll out the welcome wagon when I came over last night."

Edward frowned at her. "Yes, Jasper told me all about it when I dropped by earlier this morning," he confirmed. "Nobody was pleased with the way she acted, Jasper especially. That's why Rosalie received a pretty stern talking to by the family when she came back last night," he revealed, which made her eyes widen. "I don't expect she'll be jumping at the opportunity to become yours or Bella's new best friend, but hopefully she'll try to be a little more… _tolerant_ …from here on out."

Danielle sighed and shook her head, only able to imagine how furious Rosalie must have been when the family had, she could only assume, bombarded her the moment she walked in the door. "I told Jasper not to say anything to her about it," she muttered.

"Rosalie was unkind to you. Did you really think Jasper would just sit back and do nothing while the woman he loves was being disrespected?" Edward countered pointedly.

Edward had a good point there. "Of course he wouldn't," she said with another sigh, unable to help the part of that felt a little _pleased_ that Jasper had stood up to Rosalie for her. "I just hope Rosalie wasn't too pissed."

"Rosalie is _always_ angry about _something_ ," Edward said dryly. "Might as well get used to it, since I'm fairly certain Jasper intends to keep you around for quite some time." Danielle smiled at that, but before she could say anything in response, Edward's attention was caught by something that had him glancing toward the left. "Speaking of Jasper," he said, before nodding toward the road.

Danielle turned, and for a few seconds, she had no idea what Edward was trying to point out to her – she didn't see Jasper anywhere. But finally she heard the hum of a car engine in the distance, before Jasper's black car came rolling into view. He parked by the curb in front of Danielle's house and got out of the car, his brows furrowed curiously when he saw her standing there with Edward. He came over to join them, and as he came to a halt by her side, Danielle couldn't resist giving him a dumb, love-struck smile that had Edward snorting quietly to himself.

"Hi," she said happily, moving closer so that she could wrap her arms around his solid, cold torso.

Jasper nodded briefly to Edward, then looked down at her. "Good morning, darlin'," he said in return, giving her a lopsided smile and dipping his head to brush his lips over hers.

"I didn't know you were coming over," she said, trying to ignore the warmth that had shot through her at his brief, sweet kiss.

"I thought I'd surprise you," he answered with a shrug. "You seem like you've already got something planned, though," he added, glancing briefly at Edward.

"Bella and I are going to breakfast," Danielle confirmed with a nod. "Unfortunately, this a ' _no boyfriends allowed'_ kind of deal," she added with an apologetic cringe. "I'll be free once we're done, though," she made sure to point out, so he would know that she still wanted to spend time with him today.

Jasper frowned a bit, looking a little disappointed that he'd have to wait to hang out with her, but nodded anyway. "Alright. We can do something after you and Bella are finished with breakfast."

Danielle grinned. "Sounds great."

Bella reappeared after that, not looking overly surprised when she came back and discovered that Jasper had appeared. "Hey, Jasper," she greeted with a casual nod.

"Morning, Bella," he said in response.

"Ready to go?" Danielle asked, not bothering to unwind her arms from around Jasper or take a step back away from him. She wanted to be as close to him as possible, for as _long_ as possible.

"Yep," Bella said, before glancing at Edward.

Sensing that they wanted some privacy to say a proper goodbye, Danielle disentangled herself from Jasper's embrace and grabbed his hand. "I'll meet you at the truck," she said. "See ya later, Edward."

"Goodbye, Dani," he said in return.

Danielle and Jasper left the two at the front door and walked down Bella's driveway hand in hand. Once they were at Bella's truck, Danielle turned to face Jasper, smiling up at him as she grabbed both of his hands. "You're looking particularly handsome today," she commented, though that wasn't really news considering he looked particularly handsome _every_ day.

"Compliments right off the bat," Jasper commented with a smirk. "That's a nice way to start the day."

Danielle laughed a bit, then sighed and gave him a look of apology. "Sorry you came all this way and I'm bailing on you."

Jasper just shrugged, not looking too put out. "It's fine. You and Bella _should_ spend time together. I don't mind waiting to be with you for a few more hours if it means you get to be with your friend for a bit."

Danielle smiled and squeezed his hands. "Thanks for understanding," she said.

"Of course," Jasper replied with a nod.

A stray leaf floated down from the tree in the yard and landed in Jasper's hair, prompting Danielle to lift her hand and pluck it out. After she tossed it away, she turned her gaze up to Jasper's and gave him a knowing look. "Edward told me the family had words with Rosalie last night," she said.

"Indeed we did," Jasper confirmed.

"I thought I asked you not to," Danielle said.

"And it was my intention to do as you had asked," Jasper rebutted patiently. "But the family had other plans, and once they got started, I couldn't hold my tongue." When Danielle sighed, he stepped closer and placed a hand on her cheek. "Don't worry, darlin'. She _needed_ to be talked to," he said with a firm nod. "Everything's fine now. I promise."

Danielle peered into his amber colored eyes for a moment, before sighing and nodding. "Alright," she said, though inwardly there was a part of her that still worried that the Cullen Family Intervention with Rosalie would only result in the beautiful vampire hating her even more than she already appeared to.

Jasper winked at her, then leaned forward to give her a lingering kiss. The thrill that raced through her veins as his lips touched hers was enough to make any worries about Rosalie disappear instantly. Before they had a chance to even _think_ about carried away, though, the sound of approaching footsteps had them pulling away from each other. Bella and Edward had finally finished saying their goodbyes and had come to join them at the truck.

"Ready when you are," Bella said with a nod.

"Alright," Danielle said, before looking up at Jasper again. "I'll see you in a few hours," she promised.

"Alright," Jasper said, nodding. "I love you," he told her, smiling as he peered into her eyes.

Danielle grinned. "I love you, too."

They shared one last short kiss, before he finally released her and opened the passenger side door for her. Danielle smiled and slipped inside, glancing toward Edward and Bella and feeling her smile widen when she saw Edward kiss Bella on the forehead and hug her tightly for a second or two. When he finally pulled away from Bella, he followed Jasper's lead and opened the driver's side door so that Bella could join her in the truck.

"You ladies have fun," Edward said, shutting the door behind Bella after she climbed into the cab of the truck. "Call if you need anything."

"We will," Bella assured him.

He nodded, flashed a smile at Bella that made her cheeks turn pink, then patted the truck and stepped away. Bella cleared her throat, before shoving the keys into the ignition and starting up the loud, roaring engine. After sharing a nod and a smile with Danielle, she put the truck in drive and pulled forward. Danielle blew one last kiss to Jasper, who grinned lopsidedly in response, then they were on their way to the diner, leaving the two Cullen's behind.

* * *

The diner was pretty busy, which wasn't much of a surprise seeing as it was a Saturday morning. They were able to snag a small table by the window, though, and quickly ordered orange juice and full plates of breakfast when their server came around to take their orders.

"Are you nervous?" Danielle asked as they sipped on their juice and waited for their food to arrive. "You know, about meeting the rest of the family?"

Bella didn't even bother lying about it – she nodded her head jerkily, her fingers fiddling with the paper wrapper that her straw had come in. "Yeah, I'm pretty nervous," she said. "I mean, I know they're _nice_. Or at least that's what Edward has told me. But meeting the family is a big deal. I want to make a good impression," she said.

"Trust me, I know exactly what you're going through right now," Danielle said with a comforting smile. "When Jasper asked me to go and meet Carlisle and Esme, I about had a heart attack right on the spot," she revealed, which made Bella laugh softly. "But Edward's right – they _are_ super nice and they seem to be very supportive of everything. Just be yourself. They'll see how great you are and have no _choice_ but to like you."

"Thanks, Dani," Bella said, her smile grateful but also a touch shy. "You always know what to say to make me feel better."

"That's what friends are for," Danielle said with a smile and a nod. She paused to take a sip of her orange juice, then gave her friend a questioning look. "Have you told Charlie about Edward yet?" she asked.

Bella nodded. "I introduced them last night while you and Jasper were at the Cullen's," she said. "I figured since Edward and I have been spending a lot of time together, someone was bound to notice that something was going on. It seemed like a good idea to let Charlie know we're a thing before he heard it from someone else."

Danielle made a sound of understanding. "That's the biggest drawback to small places like this. Gossip travels fast," she said with a snort.

"You're telling me," Bella responded dryly.

Danielle took another drink and raised her brows. "How did it go then? With Edward and Charlie?"

Bella nodded. "About as well as I expected. Charlie gave him the dad look, threatened him a little, and made sure Edward saw that he owned a shotgun," she said, rolling her eyes a bit. "But other than that, I guess it was alright."

"Our parents think a lot alike then, because my mom did almost the exact same thing to Jasper…minus the shotgun," she said with a laugh.

"At least your mom _likes_ Jasper," Bella sighed. "Can't say the same for Charlie and Edward."

"Dad's are different," Danielle said with a shrug. "Edward is the first guy he's seen you with. It'll be weird for him at first, but I'm sure he'll come around," she told her encouragingly.

"I hope so," Bella sighed.

They stopped talking for a moment as their food arrived, both of them smiling politely at the waitress as she placed their plates in front of them. After she asked if there was anything else she could get for them, to which they both said no, the waitress headed off to help one of her other tables.

"Anyway," Bella said as she took her first bite of food, "tell me about last night. I wanna know what to expect when I go over there," she urged with a nod.

Danielle told her all about her trip to the Cullen house as they started eating, from hanging out with the family and getting to know them better, to Rosalie's less than friendly behavior toward her, to the Cullen's actually going out of their way to cook her dinner. "So maybe go over there with an appetite," Danielle advised as she concluded her retelling. "They'll probably try to feed you, too."

"Noted," Bella said, taking a moment to wipe her face with her napkin before drinking some juice. "Anything else?"

Danielle was quickly reminded of her private conversation with Carlisle, where he had first apologized for how Rosalie had treated her and then given his approval of her and Jasper's relationship. "I actually had a one on one chat with Carlisle in his study," she said, which made Bella's eyes go wide. "It wasn't anything bad, but I _was_ nervous as hell," she admitted. "He apologized for Rosalie being such a jerk to me, then we talked about Jasper. I think he just wanted to make sure that I knew he and Esme support us and that they're happy we're together."

"Wow. That's awesome that he told you that," Bella said, sounding a little amazed to hear that Carlisle had been so open and honest with Danielle.

"It was. And that's why I don't think you have anything to worry about," Danielle said with a smile. "If they approve of us, then they're _definitely_ gonna approve of you and Edward."

"I hope so," Bella said.

A brief silence passed between them as they ate their food. Bella seemed lost in thought, likely mulling over everything Danielle had told her and wondering if her visit was going to go in a similar fashion. As for Danielle, she suddenly began to think about the last thing that she and Carlisle had talked about – Alice's visions. The visions that Danielle still knew nothing about, because nobody in the Cullen family seemed to be in a rush to tell her about them.

She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about it quite a bit after she and Jasper had parted ways the night before. There was a burning curiosity to know what Alice had seen, a strong need to find out if these visions were as important as Danielle was starting to suspect they were. She had wracked her brain and tried to come up with ideas as to what they might have been about, but thus far, she had only been able to come up with one possibility – that maybe Alice had seen her and Jasper getting married.

It was crazy to think about it, but it was the only thing that really made sense to her. She and Jasper loved each other, and though they hadn't been together for long, she could safely say that she couldn't really envision herself with anyone else. Jasper was sweet and kind and amazing, and Danielle couldn't imagine that anyone else would ever be as great as he was. In her eyes, a marriage in the future was definitely a possibility, so it made sense that maybe Alice had seen it, too. That was why Carlisle had seemed so certain she would be in Jasper's future, that was why Jasper had been hesitant to talk about it, and that was why he still couldn't decide if it was something he wanted – maybe he wasn't sure whether a marriage between a vampire and a human could work, or maybe it _could_ work and it was simply _too soon_ to be talking about it, too soon to be going down such a serious road.

"Dani?"

Danielle blinked and saw that Bella was staring at her with a questioning gaze. "Yeah?"

"I lost you there for a second," she said, smiling a bit. "Something on your mind?"

Danielle pressed her lips together, unsure whether or not she should tell Bella what she had been thinking about. But then she remembered that this was _Bella_ , literally the only other person on this planet who understood what she was going through. If there was anyone she could talk to about this, it was her.

She hesitated, trying to determine how best to approach the subject, before she finally just went for it. "You know Alice has visions right?" she asked. Bella nodded. "Well, right when we got to together Jasper mentioned that Alice had had visions about _me_ , only he didn't tell me what they were," she revealed. "Well, _Carlisle_ said something about it again last night while we were talking. I tried to ask Jasper about it on the ride home, but he still didn't wanna tell me what the visions were about. It's just…really got me curious to know what she's seen."

"Why wouldn't Jasper tell you?" Bella asked curiously.

Danielle shrugged. "He said Alice's visions don't always come true. But he also said that he wasn't sure if he wanted whatever she had seen to come true or not, and that we'd talk about it when the time was right," she said, repeated Jasper's words from the night before.

Bella frowned thoughtfully as she mulled that one over. "So do you have any idea at all what it could be about?"

"The only thing I can come up with is that maybe she saw us getting married or something, and that maybe her seeing that when Jasper and I haven't been together for that long has him freaked out," she answered. "It's the only thing I can think of that makes any sense."

Bella nodded slowly, before her eyes suddenly widened a bit, as if a thought had just struck her. "Do you think…" She glanced around, then leaned closer. "Do you think she saw you becoming one of _them_?" she asked in a whisper.

The moment the words left her lips, Danielle felt like someone had smacked her upside the head. There was no question as to what Bella was suggesting – perhaps Alice had seen that Danielle would become a vampire.

She suddenly felt her stomach twist and alertness zing through her nerve endings. The thought that Alice had seen her as a vampire had never once occurred to her. In fact, the mere idea that she _could_ become a vampire had never even entered her mind – not today, not the night before, not even during any of the days that had passed since she had first figured out what Jasper was. Simply put, Danielle had never thought it was even a possibility – the Cullen's, for the most part, had all been turned under dire circumstances, and they certainly didn't strike her as the type to just go around changing humans because they felt like it. Sure, she and Jasper were together. But did that mean that their relationship would result in her being turned into a vampire someday? And, furthermore, was being a vampire something she even _wanted_?

There were a million question racing through her mind now, making it difficult for her to form a coherent response to Bella's question. Finally, she cleared her throat and shook her head. "I…I have no idea," she managed out. "I…is that even a possibility?"

Bella shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "But Edward said that Alice had visions about _my_ future, too. Visions that _he_ didn't want to talk about, either. And since I can pretty much guarantee you that marriage isn't even on the table for _us_ right now, then maybe it's something else. Maybe…maybe she saw me being turned. And if she saw _me_ being turned, it's possible she saw _you_ being turned, too."

Danielle frowned and nodded slowly, absentmindedly toying with her fork. "Maybe…"

Bella watched her for a second, then gave her a serious look. "Would you do it?" she asked quietly. "Would you become… _you know_?"

Danielle didn't have an answer for that question, nor did she want to _try_ to come up with an answer when she hadn't had any time whatsoever to think about it. So, instead of answering, she countered Bella's question with a question of her own. "Would _you_?" she asked.

Bella pressed her lips together, a multitude of emotions flickering through her eyes. Finally, she said, "I don't know."

Danielle shook her head. "I don't know either," she confessed.

She and Bella shared a long look after that, before they both returned to their breakfast.

As if they had come to some mutual, unspoken agreement, they did not discuss the subject any further after that. It was simply too soon and, to be honest, _too weird_ to be thinking about life-altering decisions like that. So even though it took quite a bit of effort, Danielle was able to push the subject of her possible future life of vampirism to the back of her mind so that she could enjoy her friend's company.

They stayed in the diner for another half hour, then decided to adventure around the shops in Forks just for the fun of it. By the time they were finally parking in front of Bella's house again, they had been gone for about two hours. Jasper's car was gone and there was no sign of either him or Edward anywhere nearby, leading Danielle and Bella to believe that they had gone home to wait until she and Bella were finished with their breakfast outing.

With Bella's visit to the Cullen house rapidly approaching, Danielle have her friend a big hug, wished her good luck, then went back home so Bella could start getting herself prepared to meet the family. She sent a text to Jasper to let him know that she was home, then went into the living room and flopped down on the couch, staring up at the ceiling overhead as she waited for him to come back.

Now that she was alone, the thoughts she had been suppressing during breakfast almost immediately came rushing back and the question Bella had asked rang in her ears. _Would you do it? Would you become…you know_?

Danielle frowned with confliction, her mind racing as she mulled the possibilities over. When she considered the way Jasper and his family were, the thought of being one of them didn't sound so bad. Sure they were beautiful and otherworldly and had super talents that nobody else knew of, but they were, for the most part, _normal_. They went to school, had jobs, had a house that required them to pay bills and mortgages. Hell, she'd bet they even paid _taxes_ , just like the rest of the world did. They were good people – or rather, _vampires –_ and they knew how to control their hunger so that they could live semi normal lives. If she could be like them, that wouldn't be so bad, right?

But then Danielle remembered that the Cullen's hadn't always been the way that they were. They hadn't been _born_ vegetarians, they had _learned_ to be that way. She knew from things that Jasper had told her that some of them had killed before, that there had been times in the past where they hadn't been able to control their hunger and had attacked humans. What if she turned and couldn't control herself? What if she _killed someone_? Danielle knew, right then and there, that becoming a killer was something she would never be able to stomach. She would never forgive herself if she hurt someone, would never be able to _live_ with herself.

And then, of course, she had to consider exactly what she would be giving up by becoming a vampire. She would cease to age, cease to function like a normal human. Granted, she didn't know exactly how vampire bodies worked, but she seriously doubted females could carry children, so a family of her own would be out of the question. She would also become, more or less, immortal, which meant she would far outlive everyone she currently knew. The world around her would change, but she would remain the same. And she would have to stand by and watch as everyone she loved – her mother, Tom, the friends she had made here in Forks – _died_.

Not everyone, actually. Not _Jasper._

That thought made her pause. If she was a vampire, like Jasper, then there would be nothing to stand in their way. She would no longer be the fragile, delicate human she was now, whom he had to be painstakingly careful around out of fear of accidently hurting, or _killing,_ her. They would be the same, and they would be free to love each other without fear. They would be able to, quite literally, be together forever. And she had to admit it – forever with Jasper sounded pretty damn good.

Danielle heaved, then rubbed her face. This was too much to think about right now, which was probably why Jasper hadn't wanted to discuss Alice's visions in the first place, assuming she and Bella had guessed the visions correctly. She and Jasper had only _just_ gotten together – it was too soon to be thinking about things like this. Things were complicated enough as they tried to figure out how to make their unconventional relationship function as normally as possible. The last thing they needed to do was complicate things _more_ by trying to decide whether or not she should become a vampire.

A knock at the door some fifteen minutes later brought an end to her internal musings. Jumping up from the couch, she went to the door and opened it, smiling when she saw that Jasper had returned. He smiled at her for a moment, but then frowned slightly and stepped closer, his eyes worried.

"Are you alright, darlin'?" he asked, his eyes searching hers. "You seem…troubled."

Danielle resisted the urge to curse Jasper's power, which was certainly an inconvenient thing for him to have whenever she was trying to keep something from him. "I'm fine," she said innocently, knowing there was no way in _hell_ she was going to tell him about the things she had been thinking of.

Jasper didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Honestly, Jazz," Danielle insisted. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine. Actually, I'm _more_ than fine now that you're here," she added with a big smile.

Jasper eyed her for a moment longer, before he finally seemed to accept what she had said and relaxed. He smiled easily and stepped further into the house, placing a hand on her waist and pulling her closer. "Did you and Bella have fun?" he asked.

Danielle nodded. "Indeed we did," she confirmed, vehemently telling herself not to think about what she and Bella had discussed, otherwise it would send her mind racing again and Jasper would pick up on it.

"And how much gossip was involved?" Jasper asked with a smirk.

Danielle wagged a finger and shook her head. "That is privileged information, sir, and I'll thank you not to ask about my private affairs," she joked.

Jasper chuckled, then pulled her even closer, so that they were nose to nose. Danielle forgot how to breathe as she stared into his smoldering gaze. "Alright, then. Keep your secrets," he said, before giving her a long kiss.

Jasper eventually pulled away, smiling down at her lopsidedly before taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. "As much as I would love to stay here and kiss you all day long, we should go out and do something," he said. "Any ideas?"

Danielle shrugged. That kiss was making it hard for her to think about much of anything. "I don't care what we do, as long as we're together," she said. "So how about we just get in the car and see where we end up?"

Jasper nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

With that, they left the house to embark on their own adventures. And for the rest of the day, Danielle did her best to put any thoughts of her being a vampire completely out of her head, telling herself that she would make a decision about _that_ when the time was right …assuming, of course, the time ever came _to_ make a decision.

* * *

Considering how troubled and out of sorts she had felt after her breakfast with Bella, the rest of the day ended up being surprisingly wonderful. They wound up going to Port Angeles, where they saw a cheesy romantic comedy at the local theater before spending the rest of the afternoon shopping around and, in Danielle's case, eating some tasty treats. The only irritating thing that happened was when they popped into a restaurant so Danielle could have lunch and several of the waitresses kept eyeing Jasper like he was a piece of meat, which made her ears burn with anger and annoyance. It had been bad enough to the point that she had almost said something to them about being so disrespectful, but luckily for them, she forgot to be angry after Jasper calmed her down with a soothing touch and a meaningful kiss.

By the time they were returning to Danielle's house, it was getting close to dinner time. She couldn't help but glance at Bella's house as they got out of the car, eager to know if her friend was back and how her meeting with the rest of the Cullen family had gone. She hoped it had been good, and she hoped even more that Rosalie had been a little nicer.

"They aren't there," Jasper said with a shake of his head. "They might still be at the house."

"Maybe that means things are going well?" Danielle asked.

"Probably," Jasper agreed with a nod.

They headed toward the front door, walking side by side. When Danielle started to reach for the knob, however, Jasper stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm. He then cocked his head to the side, before raising his brows and peering at her house with interest.

"What is it?" Danielle asked with furrowed brows.

"Charlie," he said with a smirk. "He's inside. Sounds like he's helping your mother cook dinner."

Danielle brows shot up to her hairline. "He is?" she asked in surprise, having been previously unaware that Lynne and Charlie spent time together when she and Bella weren't around. "Wait," she said slowly. "Are they having a _date_?" she hissed in shock.

Jasper smirked wider. "I can't say for sure. But they sound pretty… _friendly_. And it _feels_ pretty friendly," he added with a meaningful look.

Danielle gaped at him, then shook her head. "Okay, that's just _weird_ ," she said. "I mean, first me and Bella get with you and Edward, who are basically brothers, and now our _parents_ are getting chummy with each other?" Danielle snorted and shook her head. "We're getting dangerously close to becoming the Brady Bunch."

Jasper smiled with amusement, then gave her a questioningly look. "Should we interrupt them?"

Danielle thought about it for a second, then shook her head. "I feel like we shouldn't."

Jasper nodded. "Why don't we go to my house then and see how things are going with Edward and Bella?" he suggested.

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Sure, let's go."

They got back in Jasper's car and started off for the Cullen house. Danielle sent her mother a text saying that she was going back to the Cullen house for dinner, just so Lynne wouldn't worry about her being gone for so long. When Lynne sent a text back saying to have fun and take her time coming home, Danielle snorted and showed the text to Jasper, who raised his brows. Apparently Lynne _really_ wanted some alone time with Charlie.

When they arrived at the Cullen house, Jasper parked in the driveway and then helped her out of the car. As they walked inside, they found Bella and Edward hanging out in the living room with the rest of the Cullen family. Everyone looked relaxed and happy and as if they were enjoying the evening – the only one who didn't seem to be having fun was Rosalie, who was sitting next to Emmett with her arms crossed over her chest and looking like she'd rather be anywhere else.

"Jasper! Dani!" Alice said excitedly upon seeing them. She was out of her seat and in front of Danielle before she could blink, pulling her into an enthusiastic hug.

The rest of the Cullen's got up to greet her – minus Rosalie – smiling widely and pulling her into friendly hugs. Emmett, of course, took the opportunity to squeeze her in a big hug and ruffle her hair, which made her huff and glare at him as she tried to put herself back in order. Finally, Bella and Edward were in front of them. Bella looked curious, but Edward, who had caught Jasper's gaze, merely raised his eyebrows.

"What are you guys doing here?" Bella asked.

"My house was occupied, so we figured we'd come here instead and see how things were going," Danielle answered.

"Occupied?" Bella echoed unsurely. "What do you mean?

Danielle smirked. "Apparently my mom and your dad are having _dinner_ together," she revealed.

Bella just nodded. "Oh, okay," she said nonchalantly. After a second, though, she seemed to realize what that meant. Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped, her expression pure shock now. "Wait a minute, does that mean – ?"

"Seems like it, yeah," Danielle confirmed.

Bella looked gobsmacked. "Oh," she said, apparently too surprised to say anything else.

"How cute!" Alice said, clapping her hands and grinning widely. "Your parents are dating! There has been some _serious_ love in the air around Forks!"

Danielle and Bella shared a look. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. We don't even know if it's anything serious," Danielle reminded the eager vampire.

Alice seemed to zone out for a moment, before she blinked and gave her a secret smile. Danielle felt fairly confident she had just witnessed the vampire peeking into the future. "I wouldn't rule it out if I were you," she said mysteriously.

Danielle blinked, then shook her head. "I really can't decide if your visions are cool or if they're freaky as hell," she said honestly.

Alice giggled in response, her eyes flashing mischievously.

"Anyway," Emmett interrupted loudly. "Enough about all this mushy crap." He turned a wide smirk on Danielle and Jasper, looking excited all of a sudden. "I'm glad you two showed up."

"Why is that?" Jasper asked.

"I've got one word for you, bro," Emmett told him. " _Baseball_."

Danielle watched as Jasper's eyes lit with excitement, a large grin spreading across his face. She frowned with confusion and glanced around at the other Cullen's, who were looking equally as excited. Except for Rosalie of course – she was still sitting by herself, looking annoyed with everything.

"What, did you guys get tickets to a game or something?" Danielle asked uncertainly.

"Better," Emmett answered. "Alice said there's a storm coming in tonight – a _real_ storm. Which means we finally have the opportunity to play a ball game."

Danielle still didn't get it. "What does a storm have to do with anything?" she asked.

"You'll just have to come with us and find out for yourself," Emmett told her with a shrug. "So what do ya say, Dani? You in?" he asked with an upward nod. "Bella and Edward are coming," he added, as if he thought that would sway her decision.

Danielle looked at Jasper with uncertainty. Baseball wasn't really her thing, and if she ended up playing, she had a feeling she'd probably just make a fool of herself. But then Jasper nodded encouragingly and squeezed her hand. "It's a lot of fun, I promise," he said.

Danielle thought about it for a second longer, then finally nodded. "Alright, I'll come." Hopefully with Bella present, she wouldn't be the worst player there.

Emmett cheered, then gave Jasper a high five. "I'm gonna go get ready!"

With that, Emmett disappeared upstairs, followed quickly by Alice and, a little more slowly, Rosalie. Edward shared a few quiet words with Carlisle, before placing a hand on Bella's back. "I should get you home so that you can change," he said, eyeing her dressier than usual attire, which was decidedly unfit for baseball. "We'll meet you all at the field?"

Everyone nodded except Jasper. "Why don't you come back here after Bella has changed," he suggested. "The four of us can take Emmett's jeep to the field. I think Danielle would prefer that to _running_ all the way there," he added with a teasing smile.

" _Definitely_ prefer a jeep to running," Danielle confirmed.

Edward smirked, then nodded. "Alright," he agreed. "We'll be back soon."

After they bid goodbye to Edward and Bella, Carlisle and Esme went downstairs to their own bedroom so they could change as well. Now alone, Danielle looked over her own clothes, which weren't fancy by any means but were still probably a little too nice to be playing sports in, especially if they were going to be doing so in a storm.

"Should I go home and change too?" she asked, though she wasn't particularly keen on interrupting whatever was going on between Charlie and her mother. "I don't know if I should play in this stuff."

"Play?" Jasper asked.

Danielle quirked a brow. "If I'm coming, I'm not just gonna sit around like a bump on a log."

Jasper pursed his lips. "You can play if you want, but our game is a little bit different than what you've seen before," he warned.

Danielle smiled, feeling her competitive side begin to make itself known at the challenge he presented. "I'm sure I can handle it," she said with confidence.

Jasper smirked. "Alright then," he said. "Alice practically has her own shopping mall upstairs. She's bound to have something that would fit you," he said next, looking her over quickly. "Come on, let's go ask."

He grabbed her hand and led her upstairs, where the bedrooms were. Danielle thought she heard muffled conversation behind the door that led to Emmett and Rosalie's room, but didn't bother trying to eavesdrop as Jasper pulled her to Alice's room. He knocked on the door twice, and it only took a second for Alice to answer. She was already decked out in baseball gear, looking more than a little excited.

"I've got something she can wear," Alice said without needing to be asked – she had probably heard them talking downstairs. Alice grabbed Danielle by the wrist and pulled her into her bedroom. "Go get changed, Jasper. I'll return her to you in a second."

Before Jasper had the chance to say anything, Alice closed the door in his face and pulled Danielle further into the room. Danielle glanced around quickly, noting that there were a lot of feminine decorations all over the place and that the room smelled distinctly of jasmine. She would have inspected the room further, but immediately lost interest when Alice showed her to a closet that was bigger than Danielle's entire bedroom. Her jaw dropped with shock as she eyed the many, many clothes, her brows shooting up to her hairline. Jasper hadn't been lying – Alice's closet was practically a department store.

"Wow. When you said you were into fashion, you _meant_ it," Danielle commented in amazement.

Alice grinned. "A girl can never have too many options, right?"

Danielle laughed. "I guess not."

Alice glided around the spacious closet, picking out random articles of clothing as she went. By the time she was in front of Danielle again, she was holding a small pile of clothes. The vampire handed over the clothing, then stepped outside and shut the closer door so Danielle could change.

Danielle emerged from the closet a few minutes later, now wearing stretchy, black athletic pants, knee high athletic socks, a warm, long sleeved shirt, and a white baseball jersey over the top. After slipping on the sneakers she had been wearing, she felt ready to play some baseball. She smiled at Alice, carrying her own folded up clothes, and did a little spin.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"Cute and sporty," Alice said with a nod if approval. "Now, to top off the look."

Alice stepped forward and plopped a baseball cap on Danielle's head. Danielle smiled and reached up to pull her ponytail through the hole in the back of cap, then adjusted the hat on her head until it fit right. Once it was comfortably on her head, she struck a pose. "Just give me some chewing tobacco and I'm a regular Babe Ruth," she joked.

Alice laughed. "You're funny, you know that?"

Danielle shrugged modestly. "I try."

Alice continued to smile at her. "I had a vision of you," she said suddenly, which made Danielle stiffen and give her a surprised look. "A few, actually," Alice corrected herself. "I knew you were coming, but I didn't know what sort of impact you would have on the family. I just wanted to say that I'm really glad you're the one Jasper chose," she said with a nod. "I've never seen him so happy. You've really changed things for the better, especially for him."

Danielle couldn't help but blush at her exceedingly kind words. "Thank you, Alice."

"You're welcome," she said, patting her shoulder. "Jasper is waiting for you outside the door, by the way," she added with a smirk.

Danielle smiled, then went to open the bedroom door. Sure enough, Jasper was standing in the hall, his eyes bouncing back and forth between her and Alice. Alice just smiled and twiddled her fingers before disappearing downstairs, practically dancing her way down. Danielle watched her go then looked at Jasper, smiling widely when she saw his attire. He had changed into an old looking pair of jeans, a white and blue, three-quarter length sleeve baseball tee, and old sneakers. He also had put on a hat to tame his slightly wild hair.

"You look _ridiculously_ adorable in that outfit," Danielle said with a giggle.

Jasper grinned and moved closer, looping an arm around her waist. "I could say the same for you," he said, tilting his head so he could look her up and down. "Actually, I don't think _adorable_ is the correct word to use," he said, his eyes meeting hers again.

Her breath caught in her throat when she saw his darkened irises. He smirked widely at her response to him, then lifted her chin with the knuckle of his forefinger and leaned down to kiss her. Before their lips could touch, however, a loud voice interrupted them.

"Seriously, though. Do you two _ever_ stop making out?" They both froze, then turned identical glares of annoyance on Emmett, who was now standing a few feet away and shaking his head in disapproval.

She heard Jasper let out a low, but distinct, growl. "Something you need, Emmett?" he asked with forced patience.

"The rest of us are heading out," Emmett said with a jerk of his thumb.

Jasper nodded. "We'll be right behind you. We're riding with Edward and Bella."

"Alright, see you guys there," Emmett said, clapping his hands and rubbing them together excitedly. "You, my friend, are in for a treat," he said, pointing at Danielle.

She smiled and nodded her head. "Looking forward to it."

Emmett grinned, then headed back downstairs. "No hanky panky while were gone!" he called over his shoulder, unable to resist throwing one last taunt at them.

Jasper rolled his eyes dramatically. "Someone hit him for me!" There was a distinct _whack_ from downstairs, followed by a sound of protest from Emmett. "Thank you, Alice!" Jasper called down, grinning now.

Danielle just laughed and shook her head, finding the whole thing rather amusing. "Y'all are too much," she said.

Jasper gave her a look of apology. "Sorry about him. He's, well… _Emmett_."

Danielle smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't worry. I've got thick skin," she said, before standing on her tiptoes and giving him a long kiss, which Jasper was more than happy to reciprocate.

* * *

After the rest of the Cullen's headed out, Danielle and Jasper went downstairs to await the return of Bella and Edward. Surprisingly, it didn't take long for them to return – they were back in less than half an hour, which Danielle could only accredit to the fact that, according to Bella, Edward drove like a bat out of hell. Danielle and Jasper headed outside, then stood back while Edward headed into the garage to fetch Emmett's jeep.

"Was Charlie still with my mom?" Danielle asked Bella curiously.

Bella nodded. "He wasn't there when I got home, and when I called him to tell him we were gonna play baseball with the Cullen's I could hear her in the background." She gave Danielle a look and quirked a brow. "How long do you think they've been doing…whatever it is that they're doing?" she asked.

Danielle shrugged. "Don't know. Can't be too long, though. We probably would have noticed if it had been going on for a while."

Bella made a noise of agreement.

At the sound of a loud engine drew their attention after that, making them look to the garage. When Danielle got a good look at the vehicle they'd be taking, her jaw dropped and she forgot all about her mother's apparent date with Charlie Swan. "Good lord," she said as both she and Bella eyed the humungous jeep. "What _is_ that monster?"

"Emmett's pride and joy," Jasper said with a shrug.

Danielle smirked and raised her brows at her boyfriend. "He better watch it. Someone might think he's overcompensating for something," she couldn't help but comment.

While Bella snorted with amusement next to her, Jasper seemed surprised to hear her say such a thing. He soon began to laugh loudly, though, shaking his head a bit. "Have I told you I love you lately?" he aske, clearly enjoying how much she made fun of Emmett.

Danielle grinned. "Only a few dozen times," she said with a wink.

"Come on, kids!" Edward said, rolling down one of the windows to call out to them. "Let's get a move on!"

Jasper helped her get into the back seat, which she was sure she never would have been able to get into without his boost. Instead of seatbelts there was a safety harness, which left her to wonder just what they used this jeep for. While Jasper helped Bella into the passenger seat, Danielle pulled the safety harness over her head and started to do the buckles. It was more difficult than it looked, however, and she was still struggling with them by the time Jasper joined her in the backseat. The frustration on her face made him chuckle.

"You could _help_ me instead of just sitting there and laughing at me like a jerkface," Danielle said with a huff.

Jasper reached over and quickly did the buckles for her, smirking at her the entire time. When he finished, he pecked her cheek, which made her smile brightly again. Now finally secure, they only had to wait for Bella and Edward to finish with her own harness, then they were off.

They drive for maybe fifteen minutes, and to be honest, Danielle didn't really have any idea where they were going. She chatted with Jasper, Bella, and Edward, watching the scenery fly past the window – Edward really _did_ drive like a bat out of hell, she decided. Eventually Edward pulled off the main road, turning instead onto a dirt road that led right into the forest. Despite their safety harnesses, the bumpy terrain made the jeep jostle around, which, in turn, had _them_ jostling around. Jasper and Edward, of course, were perfectly fine, but she and Bella bumped around like they were on a rollercoaster, bouncing in their seats and nearly whacking their heads anytime they hit a particularly big bump. Thankfully Jasper quickly took notice of how rough the drive was on her and scooted closer, dropping an arm around her shoulder and resting a hand on her thigh to anchor her to the seat.

The moment his hand touched her thigh, every nerve ending in her body felt like it had been jump started. She turned her eyes to Jasper's, watching as a tiny smirk appeared on his lips and as his eyes darkened in color. He pulled her closer to him, his eyes never leaving hers, gently rubbing his thumb against her leg as he continued to hold her down. There was an undeniable feeling of desire beginning to radiate off of him, which made her feel warm and had her struggling to catch her breath.

Suddenly, the jeep lurched harder than it had before, hard enough to pull her and Jasper out of the spell they'd just fallen into and back to the present. Danielle looked forward to see that Edward was giving them a look in the rearview mirror, and when she realized that he had actually held Bella steady for that last jolt, she knew without a shadow of doubt that he had just lurched the jeep on purpose.

"I'd rather not hear those kinds of thoughts, thank you," he told them with a quirked brow.

Bella turned to look at them curiously, while Jasper frowned at his brother. Danielle couldn't help the blush that began to heat up her cheeks. "I thought Jasper told you not to read my mind," she said accusingly.

"I wasn't reading _your_ mind," Edward countered, before shooting a pointed look at Jasper.

She had a feeling Jasper would have blushed if he had been able to. Instead he settled for narrowing his eyes and scowling at his brother. As for Danielle, she blushed bright enough for both of them. "Oh," she said, unable to think of anything else to say.

Thankfully, the ride wasn't much longer. About another five minutes later, they finally stopped as the road opened up to a very large, open field. In the distance, she could see the rest of the Cullen clan already in the process of warming up.

"Thank God," Danielle said with relief, immensely glad that the bumpy ride had come to an end. Jasper wasted no time helping her undo the buckles of the safety harness, then they both slid out of the jeep. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Danielle put a hand against her side. "I think all that bumping around made my spleen shift," she complained.

Jasper laughed. "I'm sure you'll be alright," he said. He then grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's go meet the others."

Since Edward and Bella were taking their time getting out of jeep, she and Jasper continued on, leaving them behind. They started making their way across the field hand in hand, swerving to avoid any large patches of mud that they happened across. As they slowly drew closer to the Cullen's, she could see Carlisle and Alice tossing a ball back and forth in the middle of the field, while Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme were all loitering around, chatting amongst themselves as they waited for everyone to turn up.

Rosalie saw them first, and as her gaze landed on Danielle, she immediately turned and went to join Carlisle and Alice. Emmett seemed to heave, but then wiped the look off of his face and smiled brightly at Danielle instead. Before she knew it, Emmett was right in front of her and pulling her away from Jasper yet again, throwing her over his shoulder as if she weighed absolutely nothing. Jasper made a sound of protest, but the sound was drowned out by Danielle shriek of surprise.

"Emmett!" she said, shaking his back. "I am _not_ a rag doll!"

"Sure you are! You're my very own Raggedy Anne!" he said with a laugh, bouncing her on his shoulder for added effect. If her spleen hadn't been damaged from the ride in the jeep, it certainly was now thanks to Emmett's rock-hard shoulder.

Suddenly the world whipped around, and the next thing she knew, Emmett was lying on the ground with one large hand under her back and the other under her knees. He began to bench press her with a loud laugh, clearly amused by his own antics. Danielle looked around in bewilderment, feeling a jump in her belly every time he pushed her upward out of fear he might launch her clear into the air, something he was perfectly capable of doing if he really wanted to.

"Dude, I am _not_ gym equipment!" she reminded him loudly.

"Er, why is Emmett bench pressing Dani?" a new voice asked. Danielle glanced over to see that Edward and Bella had finally arrived on the scene, and though Edward looked amused by what he was seeing, Bella looked downright confused.

"Gotta get loose for the game, don't I?" Emmett answered with a smirk, not even looking remotely exerted as he lifted and lowered her over and over again.

"And you couldn't just do stretches like a _normal_ person would?" Danielle shot back. When Emmett just let out an evil cackle in response, Danielle raised her head to look at Jasper, lifting her brows. "Aren't you gonna put a stop to this?"

Jasper smirked and stepped closer. "Okay, Em, hands off my lady," he instructed sternly.

"No can do, my friend," Emmett said, never even pausing in his presses. "Gotta get ready for the game."

"Oh, are we bench pressing the humans tonight?" Alice asked suddenly as she came rushing over to join them. "Me next!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly.

"No one else is gonna bench press me!" Danielle announced loudly.

"Except maybe Jasper, eh, _eh_?" Emmett said, the innuendo behind his words and his tone impossible to mistake.

Danielle flushed furiously, Alice and Bella giggled, and Esme let out a sigh of disapproval. As for Jasper, he seemed to finally decide that enough was enough. "Alright, that does it," he said, rescuing her from Emmett's grasp and carefully placing her on her own two feet.

Without any warning or preamble, Jasper proceeded to pounce on his much bigger brother, who let out a grunt as Jasper landed on him. The two immediately started wrestling right there on the grass, both of them losing their ball caps in the process as they struggled to get the upperhand on one another.

"Well, there they go," Alice said with a cross of her arms. "I swear, it's always a competition between these two to see who the better fighter is," she told Danielle with a roll of her eyes.

"Who _is_ the better fighter?" Danielle asked curiously.

"Jasper," answered all of the present Cullen's without hesitation.

"Hey!" Emmett cried indignantly, having heard what his family had said.

He didn't have time to say anything more, though, because Jasper soon locked an arm around his neck and wrestled him back to the ground. It was around that time that Carlisle appeared by Danielle's side, looking curious as to why Jasper now had Emmett in a headlock.

"What's this all about?" he asked, though she couldn't help but notice that he didn't seem all that surprised to see his two adoptive sons in a wrestling match.

"Jasper's defending my honor, I think," Danielle answered her with a shrug.

"Ah, I see," Carlisle said, nodding his head.

"Alright, boys!" Esme finally interjected, having evidently grown tired of their little display. "Cut it out! You look like a couple of _wolves_ rolling around in the dirt like that!" she scolded sternly, placing her hands on her hips.

Jasper and Emmett stopped wrestling immediately and got to their feet. They both looked a little disheveled and a little exerted, but while Emmett scowled at his brother, Jasper smirked in what seemed like triumph. It appeared that Jasper had won this match.

"Proud of yourselves?" Esme asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Emmett scowled moodily and leaned down to pick up his hat, not even bothering to put it on straight as he plopped it on his head. "Let's just play some ball," he said. He turned to point a finger in Jasper's face. "You're going _down_ , dude."

Jasper just smirked as he watched Emmett stomp away with a determined look on his face, chuckling under his breath when the bigger vampire grabbed a bat and began to swing it around menacingly. Danielle quirked a brow and turned a look on Jasper. "He gonna be alright?" she asked.

"He'll be fine," Jasper and with a dismissive wave of his hand. "He's just mad that I beat him."

Danielle nodded, then turned her attention to Alice, who was watching the skies with a slightly unfocused gaze. After a few seconds, she blinked and then smiled widely. "It's time!" she announced.

Barely a second later, loud thunder boomed down from the sky overhead, which was rapidly filling with storm clouds. Edward and Alice shared a look, then, after Edward squeezed Bella's hand, the two vampires hurried away to join Emmett and Rosalie, both of them equally excited. Carlisle went off next, calling out for everyone to start taking their positions. Jasper was the last to go, lingering just long enough to kiss her temple, then took off to join his family. The affectionate gesture would have made her smile, had she not been amazed by how _fast_ the Cullen's could run. They moved so quickly, she would have missed them getting to the field completely if she had blinked.

"Shall we follow?" Esme asked the Danielle and Bella, looping her arms through theirs and giving them a friendly smile.

The three of them began to head that way, walking at a slow leisurely pace. "You don't play with them?" Bella asked Esme.

"No, I usually just play catcher and try to referee," Esme answered. "I like keeping them honest," she added with a smile.

"So they like to cheat, huh?" Danielle asked with a smirk.

"Oh, all the time. You should _hear_ the arguments they get into," Esme said, shaking her head. "Actually, I hope you don't. You would think they were raised by a pack of _wolves_ …assuming, of course, you haven't already been convinced of that by Jasper and Emmett's wrestling match," Esme laughed.

Danielle and Bella both laughed. "Doesn't matter if they're humans or vampires – boys will be boys, right?" Danielle said.

"Too right," Esme agreed with a smile.

Bella glanced up at the grey sky, then looked at Esme. "So why do you have to wait for the storm to play baseball?" she asked curiously.

Esme smirked, her eyes dancing. "You're about to find out very quickly."

They stopped walking as they reached the field that the Cullen's had set up. The Cullen's had divided into two teams – Emmett, Rosalie, and Carlisle were on one team, while Jasper, Alice, and Edward were on the other. Alice was pitching, while Edward and Jasper were in the outfield – first up to bat was Emmett, who looked ready to do some damage.

"Game on, everyone!" Esme announced as she went to play the position of catcher behind Emmett. "And remember, _no cheating,_ " she added with an extra stern look in Emmett's direction – he just held up his hands innocently.

For a moment, nothing happened. Alice held the ball in her hand, her eyes narrowed as she stared at Emmett, while Emmett swung his bat back and forth in anticipation. Suddenly the sky began to rumble with thunder, prompting Alice to rear back and, with a gracefulness that made Danielle instantly jealous, launch the ball through the air. Emmett swung hard, his bat connecting with the ball just as a loud _BOOM_ sounded through the air. Even the thunder wasn't loud enough to completely drown out the ear splitting _CRACK_ that reverberated off the trees as Emmett sent the ball soaring toward the trees at the back of the field. He then dropped his bat and took off running for first base, running so fast he was just a blur of color.

"Wow," Bella breathed next to her, her eyes just as wide as Danielle's. "Now I see why they need the thunder."

Danielle just nodded in agreement, too amazed to respond verbally.

It was remarkable to watch the Cullen's play baseball. Though she had never been a fan of the sport herself because of its slow pace, _this_ game was anything but slow. Whenever Alice pitched the ball, it would move so quickly through the air that Danielle wouldn't even be able to see it. When Emmett or Carlisle or Rosalie hit the ball, it would go so far that Danielle would feel _certain_ that they were never going to see it again, but then she would be left in amazement when Edward or Jasper would disappear from sight, only to reappear with the ball in hand to keep the game going.

When Jasper's team went up to bat, Emmett took over on the pitcher's mound while Alice went up to bat first. She hit the ball far to the left, then managed to make it onto first base. As Jasper went up next, Danielle clapped loudly and cheered for him, earning herself a smirk and a wink. He did a few fancy tricks with the bat, then readied himself for the pitch. As he connected with the ball with a loud crack, he tossed the bat away and ran full force toward first base. After he made it there safely, Danielle cheered loudly again.

The game continued at the same rapid pace for at least a half hour, the score changing so continuously that she couldn't keep up. For the most part, Danielle and Bella loitered close to Esme, cheering their respective boyfriends on whenever they did something good or, when needed, serving as back up referees to confirm calls that Esme made. Eventually, though, there was a pause in the game. And when Jasper came waking over to Danielle with a bat in his hand, she immediately knew what he had on his mind.

"You wanted to play?" he reminded her with a smirk.

Danielle looked at the bat he was offering her, then out towards the other Cullen's. They'd all moved in considerably closer, and both Emmett and Carlisle had menacing smiles on their faces that made her uneasy. Danielle immediately pushed the bat away from her, shaking her head quickly – any desire to play with them had flown out the window the moment she had realized they were all baseball _progenies._

"No way. I'll just embarrass myself," she told him.

"No, you won't," Jasper countered patiently. "They'll play at human speed so you have a better chance," he reassured. "Now come on, darlin', you can do it. Show us what you've got," he encouraged, moving around behind her so that he could begin to gently push her in the direction of home plate.

Bella, Alice, Edward and Esme were all cheering loudly for her – even Carlisle called out a few encouraging words, to which Emmett abruptly informed him that he was cheering for the wrong team. Danielle continued to protest despite the support, though, knowing she'd look like a full fledged idiot if she tried her hand at vampire baseball.

"Jasper! I really don't think this is a good idea," she said with a shake of her head, feeling her nervousness increase as they reached home plate.

Jasper started to say something in response, but Emmett beat him to the punch. "If she can't do it, she can't do it," he said with a shrug and a smirk. "I wouldn't wanna embarrass myself either if I were in her shoes. Though I have to admit…I never took you as the type to be a _chicken,_ Dani," he then added tauntingly.

Danielle's ears instantly perked up at his words and she slowly turned her head to look towards the much bigger vampire. He had a challenging smirk on his face and a gleam in his eyes that _dared_ her to fight back. Danielle suddenly forgot to feel nervous, her competitive side flaring. Emmett didn't think she could play, huh? Well, she'd show _him._

Danielle yanked the bat out of Jasper's hand, her expression nothing but determination now. "I'll show _you_ who's a chicken," she shot back defensively.

Emmett chuckled gleefully, while Jasper grinned and backed off a bit, clapping loudly for her as she stood on home plate and began to swing the bat around to loosen up her arms. "You can do it, Dani!" Alice cheered from first base, looking ready to bolt to second at a moment's notice.

"You ready?" Emmett asked as she got into position, his brows raised. "You need a moment to stretch? Need some water? Anything?"

"Just shut up and throw the ball, Cullen!" she snapped.

There were laughs and jeers from the rest of the family, who appeared to be taking a great amount of amusement in their banter. Finally, Emmett narrowed his eyes and stood tall, his expression one of concentration now. When he suddenly pitched the ball, throwing it at a more normal speed so she could actually see it, Danielle swung the bat hard. Unfortunately, she missed completely and only succeeded in nearly tumbling butt first to the ground with her enthusiastic swing. Thankfully, she was able to catch herself before she could fall.

"Strike!" Esme called, before tossing the ball back to Emmett.

Emmett caught the ball easily, then smirked at Danielle and raised his brows. "I don't know if you know this, but the object of the game is to _hit_ the ball," he said with mock seriousness.

Danielle scowled. "Wow, I had no idea you were a stand up comedian," she shot back dryly.

Emmett just laughed.

"You got this, darlin'," Jasper called encouragingly. "Just keep your eye on the ball."

There was another pause. Danielle narrowed her eyes, staring hard at Emmett. Finally, he threw the ball again, and this time she made contact, surprising not only herself, but the rest of the Cullen's, too. They were so surprised, in fact, that it flew clear over everyone's heads and landed somewhere in the bushes behind Rosalie. For a moment, nobody moved.

"Run!" Jasper suddenly yelled.

The shout was enough to jar everyone back to reality. As Rosalie scrambled to get the ball, Danielle and Alice both took off, heading for first and second base respectively. Danielle pumped her legs furiously, running as fast as she could toward first base, which seemed miles away to her. She glanced back to see that Rosalie had retrieved the ball and thrown it to Carlisle, who was quickly closing in even in spite of the fact that he was _not_ running at full speed. Danielle pushed herself harder, then let out a cry of triumph as she touched first base just before Carlisle could tag her.

"Safe!" Esme called with a grin.

Jasper, Alice, Bella and Edward cheered and whistled, while Emmett and Rosalie scowled, looking annoyed with the fact that she had managed to get the better of them.

"You run fast for a human," Carlisle said with a grin and a pat on her shoulder.

"Thanks," Danielle said, breathing hard and resisting the urge to bend over at the waist because she was so out of breath.

Carlisle ran back to his position, announcing that they were going to keep the pace slow until either Danielle was out or she got the home run. Jasper went back up to bat next and ended up knocking it so far back that he was on second base, Danielle was on third base, and Alice had taken it in for a homerun before the other team could get the ball back into the infield. When Edward went up to bat next, he absolutely _crushed_ it – Danielle, Jasper, _and_ Edward were all able to get a home run.

"Alright, team!" Alice cheered, high fiving Jasper and Edward. Danielle held up her own hand, fully expecting to receive her own high five, then let out a squeak of surprise when Alice picked her up and swung her around in a circle. "You're gonna fit in _just_ fine," she said with a grin, setting Danielle back on her own feet.

"Thanks," Danielle said with a laugh. A hand found its way onto her back in the next moment, which had her smiling up at Jasper, who had moved closer to her. "How did I do?" she asked.

Jasper smirked at her. "I've never been prouder," he said, before leaning down to give her a quick kiss.

Alice suddenly gasped sharply, which made Danielle and Jasper pull away from one another and look at her with uncertainty. "Alice?" Esme asked with concern on her eyes, taking a step closer.

"I didn't see – I couldn't tell," Alice whispered shaking her head.

Esme looked even _more_ worried now. "Carlisle!" she called to her husband.

Danielle frowned, then glanced at Carlisle as he, Emmett, Rosalie came rushing over to see what was going on. "What is it, Alice?" Carlisle asked, pushing his way through the others so that he could stand before Alice and place a hand on her shoulder.

Alice gave Carlisle a worried look. "They were traveling much quicker than I thought," she said. "I had the perspective all wrong."

Danielle was feeling more and more confused by the second. What was going on? Who were they talking about? "What changed?" Jasper asked, his brows furrowed together.

"They heard us playing and it changed their path," Alice said, which made Jasper curse under his breath.

Danielle finally held a hand up to catch everyone attention. "Can someone tell me what's going on?" she asked, glancing around at the vampires standing around her.

Jasper looked down at her and heaved. "Alice had a vision, but I didn't want to tell you about it because I didn't want you to worry," he admitted.

"Worry about what?" Danielle asked, an ominous feeling forming in her belly.

"Visitors coming to Forks," Carlisle answered. "Vampires that do not live the same lifestyle that we do."

Danielle's eyes went wide as her gaze shot back to Jasper. He looked very uneasy and kept glancing around the field, as if he expected vampires to start appearing out of thin air. "We had hoped they would pass through and be on their way, but it appears they changed their mind," Edward added, his deep frown mirroring the one on Jasper's face.

A shiver raced down Danielle's spine. She moved closer to Jasper, who wrapped a protective arm around her. "Them coming here is a bad thing, isn't it?" she asked, though she was certain she already knew the answer.

Carlisle just stared at her for a moment, the look in his eyes confirmed her suspicions, before he turned his gaze back to Alice. "How long?"

Alice glanced at Danielle first, then at Bella, before looking to Carlisle. "Not long enough," she answered with a shake of her head. "If they try to run now, they nomads will just catch their scents and start hunting."

Danielle shared a frightened look with Bella at the word ' _hunting'_.

"How many?" Emmett asked.

"Three," Edward answered, having obviously seen them in Alice's mind.

"Three?" Emmett echoed, before scoffing and flexing his muscles. "Let them come!" he said, looking ready to fight.

The Cullen's began to talk quietly amongst themselves, looking anxious and worried. Danielle watched as Edward began fussing over Bella, doing whatever he could to attempt to conceal the fact that she was human, before she looked up at Jasper as he turned to face her. He looked tense and frightened, which, in turn, made _her_ feel tense and frightened.

"Stay close to me," he said, pushing the bill of her hat lower to try to cover her face. "Try not to move or draw any attention to yourself." He sighed, then turned to look at Edward. "Give me Emmett's keys," he demanded. Edward took the keys from his pocket and tossed them to Jasper without even looking. Jasper caught them, then then plopped them into her hand. It was only then that she realized her hands were shaking. "If something goes wrong, you and Bella head for the jeep and make a run for it. We'll hold them off," he instructed.

Danielle frowned deeply. "What? No!" she protested. "I don't wanna leave you. What if you get _hurt?"_

Jasper placed a hand on her neck. "I can take care of myself," he reassured her.

"But Jasper – "

"They're coming," Esme interrupted.

Danielle instantly fell silent, her breath catching in her throat and her heart pounding against her ribs. Jasper turned and moved so that he stood mostly in front of her, his shoulders squared and his spine rigid. The rest of the Cullen's formed a protective line in front of her, Jasper, Edward, and Bella, then faced the right side of the field. Danielle glanced over at Bella, who stood a handful of feet away from her – Bella looked as scared as Danielle currently felt, and though she wanted to muster up a comforting smile for her friend, she just couldn't seem to make it happen. Something bad was about to happen. She could feel it in her gut.

Finally she looked in the direction that the Cullen's were, reaching for Jasper's hand and intertwining her fingers with his. Then she watched as three figures appeared from the foggy trees on the far side of the field and began to walk toward them.

* * *

 **Thoughts?**


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**I just want to take a quick moment to say a great, big thank you to everyone who had added this story to their alert/favorite list, and to all of you who have left such wonderful reviews! Your support is so awesome and so appreciated! Sorry for the long wait between chapters, but it just happens, ya know? The good news is that we're actually drawing closer to the end of Part 1, which is really exciting! I'm probably going to focus purely on this story so that I can get Part 1 finished! In summary - hopefully you guys won't have to wait quite as long for the next update!**

 **Anywho, w** **ithout futher ado, here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter Fifteen_**

The nomad vampires were very different from the Cullen's, Danielle could see that almost straight away.

Where Jasper and his family carried themselves in a refined, more _humanly_ fashion, these vampires seemed more like jungle cats who looked ready to pounce at a moment's notice. As they drew closer, she could sense that there was an aura of wildness to them that the Cullen's didn't possess. Their clothes were normal enough, but the fabric was frayed, dirty, and tattered, as if they had been worn non stop for quite some time. The two males had a commanding, intimidating atmosphere to them, while the lone female, a vampire with red, wild hair, gave off a sinister vibe that instantly made Danielle feel uneasy. When the strange vampires finally came to a stop in front of the Cullen's, she could see that their eyes were bright red rather than the pretty amber she was used to seeing. She had to fight the sudden urge to move even closer to Jasper – moving would just draw their attention to herself, which was exactly what Jasper had said _not_ to do.

Carlisle stepped forward to greet them. Emmett stepped forward too, so that he stood at Carlisle's shoulder like a body guard, his massive arms crossed over his chest and his expression more serious than Danielle had ever seen.

"Hello," Carlisle said in a polite, friendly tone.

The dark skinned male stepped forward, giving an easy smile. "Hello," he said in return. "We heard you playing and thought we would come and introduce ourselves," he then added. His voice was smooth and held a light French accent. "I'm Laurent. This is Victoria and James," he introduced, gesturing to the two behind him. It seemed as though Laurent was the leader of their small coven.

"My name is Carlisle, and this is my family," Carlisle said in return, gesturing to them.

The three vampires began to scan their eyes over the Cullen's with interest. Knowing that her blue eyes would be more than enough to give away the fact that she wasn't a vampire if the nomads saw them, Danielle lowered her chin the slightest bit so that the bill of her cap would hide her eyes, but not so much that it was obvious she was trying to avoid eye contact. For a second or two she could feel a lingering gaze on her as one of the nomads stared in her direction, or maybe she just _thought_ they were staring at her because she was so scared that they would realize she was a human. Either way, the feeling finally went away when Carlisle spoke again.

"What brings you to the area?" he asked.

"We are just passing through," Laurent answered. "We are headed north, to Canada. We were curious to see who was in the neighborhood, though. We haven't had much company other than our own for quite some time," he explained.

"This region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor, like yourselves," Carlisle responded with a small nod.

"What is your hunting range?" Laurent inquired curiously.

"The Olympic Range here, then up and down the coast ranges on occasion," Carlisle told him. "We keep a permanent residence nearby, so we avoid hunting in these parts."

"A _permanent_ residence?" Laurent echoed with surprise. "Such a thing is possible?"

"Indeed, it is," Carlisle confirmed. "We are not the only ones of our kind, either. There is another permanent settlement like ours near Denali."

"However do you manage it?" Laurent asked curiously.

"That is quite a long story," Carlisle said, and though Danielle couldn't see his expression, she could hear the easy smile in his tone. "If you would like, you may return to our home with us, where I would be more than happy to discuss our way of life."

Laurent shared a brief look with the vampire named James, before he gave Carlisle a nod. "We would like that very much," he answered.

"Wonderful," Carlisle said. "Allow my wife and I to show you the way while the others collect our belongings," he suggested.

Danielle resisted the urge to breathe a sigh of relief as Carlisle and Esme began to step away from the group, gesturing for the nomad vampires to follow them. Even Jasper seemed to relax, because the tension in his shoulders had begun to noticeably ease now that this encounter seemed to be coming to an end. The wild looking nomads were leaving, and she and Bella had both somehow managed to hide the fact that they were _not_ vampires. Carlisle and Esme would lead the vampires away, and then they would be safe to leave the field and get as far away from the nomads as Forks allowed them to. It had been a close call, but in the end, it was no harm, no foul.

But then Laurent laughed and held up a hand. "Wait a moment, Carlisle," he said, which made Carlisle and Esme pause. "There is no need to rush off just yet. We have all the time in the world to talk," he pointed out. "Your game sounded fun. Why don't we stay here a little longer and play a few more rounds?"

"Yeah," the red-haired woman finally spoke up. Danielle instantly shivered at the sound of her voice. "Let's play. I've got a _wicked_ curveball," she said with a smirk.

Danielle was tense again, as was Jasper. She chanced a look at Carlisle, who seemed as though he wanted to say no to the suggestion. _She_ wanted him to say no, too. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that the nomads would discover the truth about her and Bella – and _very_ quickly – if they resumed their game as normal. But after a second, Carlisle smiled and nodded, which made her stomach flip uneasily.

"Sure," he said with a nod. "A few of us were about to leave anyway," he then added. "You can take their spots."

"Perfect," Laurent said with a smirk.

Emmett and Alice moved to talk to the nomads, speaking louder than necessary and making sure to stand so that they were blocking Danielle and Bella. It seemed as though they were trying to keep the vampires distracted. At the same moment, Carlisle shot a meaningful look at Edward first, then Jasper, before nodding his head toward the jeep to indicate that they should leave. Jasper placed a hand on Danielle's back, angling his body so that he was in front of her, and started to lead her away. Edward did the same with Bella.

They had barely even made it a step before the wind suddenly picked up. Danielle felt it against her skin and caressing the short ponytail that stuck out from the small hole in the back of her baseball cap. In front of her, Bella's long hair began to sway around her shoulders, the dark tresses floating up with the breeze and dancing around like flames of a fire.

It happened very quickly. One moment, everything was calm – in the next, Edward had dropped into a defensive crouch in front of Bella, a vicious snarl tearing from his throat as his hardened gaze locked on James. Danielle jumped with surprise, unsure what had happened to cause Edward to react in such a way, until realization caught up to her swiftly. The wind rustling Bella's long hair must have carried her scent to the nomads, and James, having detected it quickly, was now in a crouch himself and gazing at Bella with hunger.

The rest of the Cullen's were on the defensive now, hissing warningly as James continued to eye Bella like she was a piece of meat. Jasper had an arm in front of Danielle, a low growl rumbling in his chest, his eyes dark and narrowed as he glared at the nomads. Danielle's blood ran cold as she braced herself, knowing that at any second for the nomads would look at her next and realize that _she_ was a human, too.

But as she looked at the three, she realized not a single one of them was paying attention to her. Laurent and Victoria seemed equal parts confused and surprised as they stared at Bella, while James was so focused on Bella that he was hardly paying attention to anyone else. Danielle didn't know why, couldn't possibly begin to explain how they had missed the fact that there were _two_ humans present, but they seemed completely oblivious to the fact that she was not a vampire.

Laurent took a step closer, which made the Cullen's hiss and growl in warning again. Danielle came to the quick decision that if the nomads thought she was a vampire, then she wasn't going to do anything to disprove that. Without thinking, she mimicked the vampires around her, hissing defensively. Doing so made her feel like the absolute _biggest_ idiot on the planet, and she was fairly confident that Emmett would have taunted her mercilessly if the situation hadn't been so dire, but if it helped her blend in and was enough to have the nomads continuing to believe she was a vampire, then so be it. Jasper glanced at her quickly, as if surprised he had heard the sound come from her, before nodding once in what seemed like a signal to continue her charade.

Laurent stopped at once, but his eyes continued to dart between Edward and Bella. "What's this?" he asked in obvious surprise.

"She's with us," Carlisle answered firmly, though Danielle couldn't tell if that was directed more toward Laurent or at James.

"You brought a _snack_?" James asked, his tone almost one of amusement as his darkened eyes continued to gaze at Bella.

I _said_ she's with us," Carlisle repeated, his tone taking on a dangerous edge that she had not thought the otherwise gentle vampire capable of possessing.

"But she's human," Laurent pointed out, as if theya needed reminding.

"Yes, she is," Carlisle responded simply.

There was a tense moment of silence after that. The Cullen's and the nomads continued to stare one another down, neither party looking willing to make the first move. Danielle held her breath, her gaze flickering from Carlisle, to Laurent, then to James, her inner anxiety over the entire situation almost too much to bear. The feeling of being watched again hit her, and with a subtle, downward tilt of her chin, she once again made sure the bill of her hat kept her eyes hidden from view.

"James," Laurent finally said. "Enough of this. Let us go."

It took a moment, but eventually James straightened from his crouch. Edward stayed planted in front of Bella, his eyes fierce and burning as he glared at James. The nomad vampire merely smirked, his expression one of amusement, as he finally took a step backward.

"It is clear that our presence amongst your… _family…_ is no longer desired," Laurent said to Carlisle. "We shall be on our way now."

With that being said, Laurent placed a firm hand on James' shoulder and pinned him with a pointed stare. While the Cullen's remained on their guard, James finally turned to leave. Laurent followed, but the woman remained where she was for a moment longer than seemed necessary. Danielle realized then that it was _Victoria_ who had been watching her, as the sensation of being stared at didn't finally go away until _after_ Victoria turned to leave with her companions.

Nobody moved for a long few minutes, and though Danielle would have loved nothing more than to leave and get someplace that felt a little safer, she could tell by the way the Cullen's continued to stare in the direction the nomads had gone that they were making absolutely sure the other vampires left. When the Cullen's visibly relaxed, she took that as a sign that the nomads were indeed gone.

"Everyone back to the house," Carlisle ordered. "Now."

The next thing she knew, Jasper was leading her back to the jeep with a firm hand on her back, his lips pulled into a deep frown and his eyes glancing untrustingly at the thick of trees that the nomads had disappeared into. She noticed that the rest of the Cullen's were following them as Jasper climbed into the backseat with her and made quick work of securing her harness – everyone still looked to be very much on their guard. Once Bella had been secured in the front seat, Edward took his place behind the wheel and cast a look at Danielle over his shoulder.

"Keys?" he asked.

Danielle had forgotten that Jasper had given the keys to her should thea need for her and Bella to escape arise. She shoved a hand into her pocket and handed them to Edward. Her hand was still trembling, and when Jasper saw it, he took her hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze.

A moment later the jeep roared to life as Edward put the key in the ignition, then, as the rest of the Cullen's flanked the monstrous vehicle like a band of body guards, they left the field behind and headed back for the Cullen house.

* * *

It was a tense, silent drive, and whether it was because her mind was too overwhelmed with thoughts to focus or if it was because Edward was driving even faster than usual, she wasn't sure, but they seemed to reach the Cullen house in record timing. The moment Edward parked in the driveway, Jasper released her from her harness and helped her out of the jeep. Almost immediately, she and Bella were shepherded inside.

Everyone went into the living room, but nobody sat down. Danielle stood quietly next to Bella and Esme while Jasper and Emmett did a quick walk around the room, looking through the windows to make sure nothing – or rather, no _one_ – was outside. Carlisle and Edward talked in hushed, hurried voices to one another, while Rosalie paced a little, her arms crossed tightly across her chest and her eyes darting every so often toward Danielle and Bella. As for Alice, she stood by herself, her eyes unfocused and her expression blank, leaving Danielle with the distinct impression that she was having more visions. Edward, Danielle noticed, turned his attention away from Carlisle every so often to look at his sister, which led her to believe that he was using his power to see whatever Alice was seeing.

Bella finally cleared her throat to catch the attention of the room. "So…" She trailed off uncertainly for a second. "Does someone wanna tell me what's going on?"

"We need to discuss the situation at hand," Carlisle answered, stepping into the center of the room with Edward. "As I am sure you know already, what happened with the nomads in that field was…not desirable," he admitted.

"But they're gone," Danielle said with a frown.

"Yes, they are," Carlisle confirmed. "For _now_ , anyway," he added.

Danielle felt alarm shoot down her spine. "You think they'll come _back_?" she asked.

Carlisle sighed and shot a look at Edward, who was watching Alice again with an increasingly deep frown. "It is a possibility that we would be unwise to ignore," he stated. "They took a great interest in Bella, James especially," he said, keeping his tone gentle so as not to alarm Bella. "It is not implausible to think he might try to make contact with her."

"That's _one_ way of putting it," Edward snapped, finally turning his attention to them. Upon seeing the uncertain looks that came his direction, he heaved and shifted on his feet, looking agitated. "James is a tracker," he revealed, and though Danielle had no idea what that meant, the expressions that overtook the faces of the rest of the Cullen's let her know that it wasn't anything good. "I saw his mind. Tracking is his obsession. And after the way I reacted in the field, the way I protected her…" Edward shook his head. "He wants _Bella_ , and he'll stop at nothing to get to her."

Danielle gaped in surprise, then looked at Bella. Her eyes had gone wide, both out of shock and out of fear, and she had gone a shade paler than usual. Danielle immediately wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulders and pulled her in tight to her side, to offer both comfort and at least some sense of protection.

"What do we do?" Esme asked, looking from Edward to Carlisle, then back again.

Edward stared at Bella for a long moment, then shook his head. "We have to get her as far away from James as possible," he stated plainly. "We need to take her somewhere safe. Forks is too dangerous right now."

His words were enough to make Bella snap back to reality. "What?" she asked, shrugging Danielle's am off her shoulders and staring at Edward with furrowed brows. "Leave Forks?" When Edward just nodded, Bella shook her head. "No," she said with a surprising amount of authority. "I can't do that."

"This isn't up for discussion, Bella," Edward countered tersely. "Your _life_ is in _danger_."

"But I can't just _leave_. I have to go _home_ ," Bella argued.

"You _cannot_ go home," Edward growled in response. "He'll follow your scent there. It's the first place he'll look."

Bella's eyes widened with fear. "But my _dad_ is there!"

"We'll keep him protected once we've gotten you out of here," Edward replied shortly.

"Okay, even if you do that, he'll still _freak_ out when I don't come home. He knows I was with you tonight. He'll think you've kidnapped me or something!" she pointed out.

Edward was beginning to look impatient with the discussion. "I don't care. You _have_ to go. If you don't, you will not be safe, and I _refuse_ to sit back and do nothing while James hunts you down. Emmett, Rosalie – go to Bella's house and pack enough of her things to see her through the next week," he then ordered, turning his back on Bella to address the two. "We need to leave as soon as possible, before James has the chance to put his plans into motion."

"I am _not_ – " Rosalie began to argue at once.

"Ed, man, maybe we should – " Emmett said at the same time.

"Just do it!" Edward snapped over both of them.

"Edward, would you _listen to me?_ " Bella finally interrupted loudly, making everyone go silent and look to her again. "I can't just _disappear_. Do you have _any_ idea what my dad will do if I just drop off the face of the planet? He'll get all the cops in town – probably in the _state_ – looking for me! He'll call the FBI! They'll be _all over_ you guys!" she exclaimed. "Everything here will be ruined – your jobs, your reputation, your _lives_!"

"We've been through this before, Bella," Carlisle said, sounding eerily calm compared to Bella's near hysterical tone. "We know what we're doing. We can handle it."

Bella wasn't convinced. "I won't be the reason you get run out of Forks. There has to be another way," she insisted.

" _There isn't another way!"_ Edward finally roared.

"Edward!" Esme reprimanded directly after, frowning deeply at his reaction.

Danielle had flinched at the ferocity of Edward's voice and taken an unconscious step backward. When she bumped into something hard and cold, she realized Jasper had been behind her the whole time, only she'd been so caught up in the conversation she had been unaware of his presence. He placed a steadying hand on her back and stepped closer, so that he was right by her side.

Edward took a calming breath, then stepped forward to grab Bella's hands. "Bella, this _has_ to happen," he said in a gentler tone. "I saw his mind, and I've seen the visions that Alice has had since we left the field. He'll start his hunt _tonight,_ and he won't stop until he has you," he explained. "We have to get you somewhere safe while we get take care of him. It'll only be for a few days, maybe a week at most."

"Wait, you're gonna _kill_ him?" Danielle blurted out, her eyes wide.

"It's the only way to ensure he can't come after Bella," Edward told her. "Or anyone _else_ ," he added with a meaningful look in her direction.

Jasper tensed next to her. "He won't come anywhere _near_ Danielle," he growled threateningly.

"Not if we get rid of him, he won't," Edward said with a firm nod.

"This is the way it has to be," Carlisle agreed, though he was frowning as he did so. "I do not condone the killing of another vampire, even one as sadistic as James…but it will have to be done if we want to ensure their safety."

Danielle didn't like the thought of Jasper – or anyone in his family, for that matter – participating in any killing that might take place, but didn't voice it aloud. She just wrapped her arms around herself as a tense silence fell over the room, her mind racing with everything that had been said thus far. Finally, Bella heaved, which had everyone looking at her.

"Fine," she said, albeit with some reluctance. "I'll leave Forks. _But_ ," she continued, her tone firm, "I won't just leave without going home first. Take me home so I can pack my own bags. I'll tell my dad that we broke up or something and that I can't stay around here anymore. Hopefully that tracker will be watching and will see us run, that way he'll know I'm not there anymore and won't bother Charlie. Once my dad is convinced I'm leaving on my own free will and everyone is safe, _then_ you can take me any damn place you want to," she concluded.

Everyone took a long moment to consider what she had said, before, one by one, they began to look at Edward for his reaction to the plan. Carlisle was the one to speak first. "It isn't a bad idea," he said encouragingly. "We can take Bella somewhere far away, keep her protected while we lead James away from Forks and ensure he will not be able to hurt anyone else."

Edward glanced at Carlisle, then turned to Alice, who was no longer having visions but had still remained quiet during the exchange. "Will it work?"

Alice nodded almost at once. "It will."

Edward nodded in acceptance, then turned back to Bella. "I'll take you to Phoenix. It's the safest place I can think of right now," he said. "I'll keep you safe there while the others handle James."

"Not you, Edward," Carlisle said with a shake of his head, which made Edward shoot him sharp look. "James will expect that she will be with you," Carlisle told him with raised brows. "If you go with her, he will follow. Stay here, help us lead him away from Forks and away from Bella. Someone else can protect her in your stead."

"I can do it," Alice immediately volunteered. "I'll be able to see if anything changes with his plans. I'll see trouble if it's coming."

"You can't go alone," Esme pointed out.

"I can go," Emmett volunteered.

"You will _not,"_ Rosalie instantly snapped.

"I agree," Carlisle said, nodding to Rosalie. "James got a very good look at you in the field. He might expect you to help protect her, as well. You should stay behind."

"Who else does that leave then?" Danielle had to ask.

Nearly every eye in the room turned to Jasper, who furrowed his brows and frowned. "Bella will need the best protection possible, just in case something goes awry," Carlisle said when he saw how unconvinced Jasper was. "You are our strongest fighter, Jasper, and you've had interactions with trackers before, which means that you know how they operate. You are most qualified for this task. It should be you."

Jasper still said nothing, but when his eyes flashed to Danielle's, she was able to decipher exactly what was going through his mind. He didn't want to leave Forks – more specifically, he didn't want to leave _her._ Danielle didn't like the idea of Jasper leaving, either, simply because she didn't want to be separated from him. But then a selfish voice in her head reminded her that if he was with Bella and Alice, then he wouldn't have to fight any of the nomads. That was enough to make her feel more accepting of the plan. She'd rather Jasper be gone for a few days than hunting down a bunch of wild nomads who might try to kill him.

"Carlisle's right," Danielle told him. "Bella needs all the protection she can get. You should go with her."

"But Danielle – " Jasper started to argue.

"The matter is settled," Edward interrupted, evidently thinking Danielle's encouragement was enough to solidify the plan.

"The matter is _not_ settled," Jasper growled, his eyes narrowing into a glare.

"Jasper – " Danielle began to say.

"I can't just _leave you_ while the nomads are out there," he said, whipping back around to face her. "I need to be _here,_ so I can _protect you_. _"_

"I'm not the one in danger here, Jasper," Danielle reminded him. "Those vampires aren't interested in me. They didn't even realize I was _human_."

"Yeah, why is that by the way?" Bella interjected, looking between the Cullen's. "How could they pick up _my_ scent, but not hers?"

"It has to be Alice's clothes," Carlisle answered, which had Danielle's glancing down at her own attire. She had forgotten that nearly every article of clothing she wore belonged to Alice. "Alice's scent is all over them. Between that and how distracted they were by Bella, they must not have noticed Danielle's scent."

"I acted like a vampire, too," she admitted with a blush. "I hissed."

Emmett snorted in obvious amusement. "You _what?_ "

" _Emmett_ ," Carlisle said sharply, his stern gaze plainly stating that now wasn't the time.

Emmett quieted down again at once. Jasper took the silence as his cue to start talking again.

"They might not have realized Danielle was a human in the field, but do you honestly think they won't figure it out?" Jasper asked to get the conversation back on track. "Bella's scent is in Danielle's house. And if they happen to follow her scent across the street, they will surely pick up on _mine_ , which is all around Danielle's house. It will catch their attention, and it won't take long for them to realize not only that Danielle was in the field with us tonight, but also that she is human. They could use her to get to Bella, and I cannot let that happen."

"He makes a good point," Emmett spoke up, his expression a little uneasy in response to Jasper's words. "They don't know Dani's human _yet_ , but it's not too far fetched to think that they might figure it out eventually. She could be in danger, too."

"Thank you, Emmett," Jasper said, satisfied that someone had agreed with him.

Danielle looked from Jasper to Emmett, then back to Jasper. "Look, I think you guys are getting a little carried away with this," she argued. "If the tracker sees Bella leave, he won't have any reason to look in my house for her," Danielle tried to reason. "It won't matter whether or not her scent is there, because he'll already know she's gone."

"But that doesn't solve the problem of him smelling _me_ in the area," Jasper countered. "It's a risk that I am not willing to take. You cannot stay home, Danielle. Not right now." He paused, then he gave her a look of determination. "Come with us to Phoenix," he said.

"Absolutely not," Danielle argued back. "How do you think it'll look if we all leave at the same time? My mother will go _ballistic_ and people will start to get suspicious, which is what we _don't_ want." Danielle reached for Jasper's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I need to stay _here_. I can keep up the façade while you're gone, make sure things stay calm here and that Bella's dad doesn't go insane when she leaves," she explained. "I'll be fine at home, Jazz," she assured him in a tone that was both firm and gentle at the same time. "I'm not the one at risk. We need to focus on the main concern here, and that's Bella."

" _You_ are my main concern," Jasper countered without missing a beat. "Danielle, I can't…I just…" He trailed off and shook his head, his eyes closing tightly as he struggled to voice whatever was in his mind. He didn't _need_ to voice his feelings aloud, though. She could feel every ounce of his fear and concern.

Danielle smiled gently and placed a hand on Jasper's cheek, which had his eyes opening to meet hers again. "It's gonna be alright," she said with confidence. "Go to Phoenix. Protect Bella. I'll be right here waiting for you when you come back."

Jasper stared into her eyes for a moment, before whipping around to give Alice a hard stare. "Do you see them finding her? Is she in any sort of danger?" he demanded.

Alice's eyes unfocused for a moment as she thought long and hard about what Jasper had just asked. Finally, she blinked and came back to reality. "No," she said with confidence.

Jasper turned back to Danielle, and for a few seconds the room was dead silent as everyone waited for his decision. "Alright," Jasper finally said, his tone reluctant and tinged with frustration. "I'll go to Phoenix and you will…stay here."

"Thank you, Jasper," Edward said, obviously grateful to him for his willingness, as reluctantly given as it might be, to leave Forks and protect Bella.

Jasper merely glanced at his brother, before looking pointedly at the rest of his family. "You'll make sure nothing happens to her?" he asked.

"Nobody will come anywhere _near_ Dani," Emmett said with a firm nod. "You have my word."

Jasper nodded, then looked at Danielle again, a number of emotions flying through his eyes, all of which she could feel radiating off of him at the same exact time. He was not doing much to control his power – he seemed too upset with this entire situation to keep a rein on himself.

"It's settled then," Edward said quietly. "I'll escort you home," he then said to Bella. "Go straight to your room and pack the first things your hands touch, then get in your truck. You have fifteen minutes. I'll be waiting for you there." Edward turned to Emmett. "Emmett, come with us for protection," he ordered. "You as well, Alice," he added. "We'll need you there to warn us if James makes any last minute decisions."

"Okay, but I don't see him attacking tonight," Alice said.

Edward shook his head. "I'm not taking any chances." Alice just nodded in understanding. "We should go. The sooner we can get Bella out of here, the better." While Alice and Emmett moved to leave and help escort Bella back home, Edward and Bella stayed where they were for a moment longer. "Dani? Do you want us to take you home now?" Edward asked.

The thought of being separated from Jasper so quickly made something akin to fear shoot down her spine. It was too soon, too fast. She didn't want to say goodbye already. Judging by the look on Jasper's face, _he_ didn't want to say goodbye either.

"I'd like to stay here a little longer and see them off," she said, reaching to grab Jasper's hand and giving it a tight squeeze. "If that's alright," she added.

"Of course it is," Carlisle said, giving her a smile that was both supportive and understanding. "Go and get Bella's things," he then instructed Edward with a pat to his shoulder. "And be quick about it."

Edward nodded, and after Danielle shared one last long look with Bella, they finally left.

* * *

Once Edward, Bella, Emmett, and Alice were gone, an uneasy silence fell over the Cullen house. Rosalie soon breezed out of the room, heading, Danielle assumed, for her and Emmett's bedroom. Carlisle went to stand by the window, his arms crossing over his chest as he watched the surrounding landscape with sharp, alert eyes. After a few seconds, Jasper squeezed her hand.

"I'm going to talk to Carlisle for a moment," he said.

After Danielle nodded, Jasper pressed a kiss to her temple before stepping over to join Carlisle, the two quickly falling into hushed conversation. Now alone, Danielle wrapped her arms around herself, unsure what to do while they waited. Esme soon appeared by her side, giving her a warm, comforting smile.

"Would you like some tea, Dani?" she asked.

Danielle hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Sure."

Esme put an arm around her, then led her into the kitchen. While Danielle took a seat at the table located near the window, Esme began to move around the kitchen. Soon enough, she had a kettle of water on the stove and a mug, as well as a jar of loose-leaf tea, resting on the counter. Esme joined her at the table while they waited for the water to boil, claiming the seat across from her.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, her eyes full of concern.

"I'm alright, I guess," Danielle said with a nod. "As good as I can be, considering there's a whacko vampire out there who wants to kill my best friend and that the guy I love now has to take her to Phoenix to hide out while his family _kills_ said whacko vampire."

Esme smiled sympathetically. "It's a lot to take in, I know," she said consoling. "It isn't normally like this, I promise. But every so often, problems arise that we have to… _deal with_ ," she explained. "We can handle it, though."

Danielle nodded slowly. "I trust that y'all know what you're doing," she said. "I just…hate that all of this happened."

"Me, too," Esme agreed. "But just so you know, I'm very impressed with the way you and Bella are handling all of this," she said, reaching across the table to place a cold hand on top of hers. "Anyone else in your position would have run away screaming by now. You're both very strong young women, and I couldn't have chosen better partners for my sons."

Danielle flushed at the very kind, but also very _unexpected_ praise. "Thank you, Esme."

Esme smiled. "You're welcome."

The kettle began to whistle shortly after that, which prompted Esme to get up from her seat and fix Danielle a cup of tea. Once Esme had set the mug on the table on front of her, Danielle wrapped both hands around it, sighing as the warmth of the cup seeped into her cold hands. She raised the cup to her nose to smell the tea, smiling at the pleasant aroma.

"I'm surprised you have stuff like this lying around," she commented, waiting for the tea to cool before drinking it. "I know human food is disgusting to vampires, but what about drinks? Is tea still part of your… _diet_?"

Esme smiled and shook her head. "Not really. It sort of tastes like drinking mud," she admitted. "But I loved it in my human life, and I just can't seem to stop myself from buying it whenever I come across something that smells particularly delicious. Old habits, I suppose," she concluded with a shrug.

Danielle smiled in understanding, then gently blew on the hot liquid to cool it down before taking a sip. "It's good," she said with a nod, ignoring the way the still too-hot liquid burned her esophagus.

"I'm glad you like it," Esme said.

A companionable silence fell between them for the next few minutes. Danielle slowly sipped her tea, while Esme looked out the window, her brows creasing with concern every so often. No doubt she was worried about Bella, Edward, Alice, and Emmett. This time, it was Danielle who reached across the table to place a hand on Esme's. It seemed to take the vampire by surprise, because her eyes flashed down to Danielle's hand, before jumping up to meet her gaze.

"They'll be alright," Danielle said soothingly.

Esme smiled gratefully for a moment, then sighed heavily. "I just worry," she admitted.

Danielle nodded. "I know," she sympathized. "But they'll be back soon. You'll see."

Their private moment finally came to an end when Jasper came walking into the kitchen. He stopped next to Danielle's chair, his gaze flickering back and forth between her and Esme. "Everything alright?" he asked.

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Fine. Just having a little…girl time," she said, flashing a quick smile in Esme's direction. "How about you?" she asked raising her brows at Jasper. "What were you and Carlisle talking about?"

"I'm fine. Carlisle and I were just ironing out some details before I leave with Alice and Bella," Jasper answered.

Danielle didn't say anything in response, just nodded her understanding. They held each other's gaze for the next few seconds, neither saying anything, but both watching the other intently. Danielle suddenly wanted to be alone with him, just so they could get a few precious moments of privacy before he left.

"Why don't you two go upstairs for a bit?" Esme suddenly suggested, obviously sensing that the two needed some time to themselves.

Jasper nodded, then grabbed Danielle's hand and helped her up out of her chair. With one last smile directed at Esme over her shoulder, she let Jasper lead her upstairs. Not a word was spoken between them as they headed for Jasper's bedroom, but she could feel the tension rolling off of him in waves as he led her to his room and ushered her inside.

Jasper closed the door behind them, then turned to face her, his eyes intense and unwavering as he stared into her eyes. Danielle stared back for a moment, but when his intent gaze became too much for her to hold, she cleared her throat and began to walk around his room.

"You should probably pack a bag or something," she suggested, just for something to say. "You'll need a few outfits, some toiletries. You should take a charger for your phone, too," she listed off quickly. "You should also take – "

But she didn't get to finish telling him what else he should take with him to Phoenix, because suddenly Jasper was right in front of her, his hands resting on either side of her face and his lips claiming hers in an urgent kiss. Danielle returned his kiss without hesitation, wrapping her arms around his neck and clinging to him as tightly as she could. His power began to go haywire again, letting her feel exactly what _he_ was feeling – desperation, love, worry, desire…but most of all, _fear._ Danielle held him even tighter, trying to reassure him with her kiss that everything would be fine, that he had nothing to fear.

He finally pulled his lips from hers so that he could press his forehead against her own. Danielle slid her fingers into his blonde hair, unable to help the frown of guilt that pulled her lips downward. "I'm sorry," she whispered, knowing that her decision _not_ to go to Phoenix was a large part of the reason for Jasper's current distress. "But it's better this way."

There was pain in his eyes as he stared back at her, which had a deep ache taking up residence in her chest. "I just...don't want to let you go," he said. "I hate that I won't be here with you." A new wave of fear rolled off of him as he frowned at her. "What if something goes wrong while I'm gone? If something happened to you…I wouldn't survive it, Danielle."

" _Nothing_ is gonna happen," Danielle said with more confidence than she actually felt. Sure she was worried, and yes, she was scared. But right now, she needed to be strong for Jasper. "You and Alice will keep Bella safe, while Carlisle and the others will lead James out of Forks and make sure he can never hurt anyone ever again. Everything will be fine, Jasper. You'll see," she finished with an encouraging nod.

Jasper sighed heavily and pulled her closer, as if he was afraid she might disappear if he let her go. "That's what I'm trying to convince myself," he murmured.

Danielle smiled, then placed one last peck on his lips before pulling away. "We really should pack you a bag, though," she said to change the subject and, hopefully, get his mind off things a bit. "Why don't you change while I get started?"

Jasper nodded, then grabbed the clothes he had been wearing earlier and disappeared into his bathroom to change out of his baseball gear. While he did that, Danielle went into the closet, where she located a small duffel bag. She tossed the duffel back into his room, then began flicking through his clothes. After picking out enough outfits to see him through at least a week, she went back into his room, folded them into neat piles, and packed them in the duffel. Just as she stuffed his phone and the charger that went with it into the side pocket, Jasper reentered the room, tossing his baseball gear aside carelessly. Danielle smiled at him over her shoulder, then sighed and leaned back into him as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I packed enough stuff to get you through at least a week," she said. "Hopefully you won't be gone that long, though."

"Hopefully not," Jasper agreed.

Danielle turned in his arms, resting her hands comfortably on waist. "What are you gonna do in Phoenix?" she asked curiously. "There's a hell of a lot more sun _there_ than there is here. Not ideal weather circumstances for someone who sparkles."

"We'll stay indoors, I suppose," Jasper answered with a shrug. "Given the circumstances, I don't think going sightseeing or shopping around will be very high on our priority list."

"Yeah, I guess not," Danielle agreed.

Jasper grabbed the bill of the cap she wore and tugged it off gently, before tossing it away. The move made a stray lock of hair fall over her face, which had him tucking it behind her ear. "What will you do while we're gone?" he asked.

Danielle shrugged. "Go about normal, daily life, I guess," she said. "And try not to drive myself insane with worry while you're gone," she added with a humorless laugh.

Jasper frowned, and for a moment Danielle thought he might ask her to come to Phoenix again. He didn't, though, and instead pinned her with a serious look. "I'll be in contact with you the entire time I'm gone," he said. "I know I told you I would not be that overbearing, overprotective boyfriend, but with everything that is happening, I'm going to have to break that promise. Expect a lot of phone calls from me while we're apart."

"I'm fine with that," Danielle said with a nod. "I wanna know everything that's happening on your end."

"And I want to know about everything that is happening _here_ ," Jasper said in return.

"Deal," Danielle said.

Jasper just nodded once in response.

Danielle took a moment to hug him, resting her head comfortably on his chest and releasing a small sigh as his long arms wrapped securely around her shoulders. The lack of a heartbeat beneath her ear was no longer surprising or unnerving, nor was the coolness of his skin, which she could feel beginning to slowly seep through the material of his shirt. In that moment, as they stood in his room with their arms around one another, the dangers outside ceased to exist for a second or two. She felt safe with Jasper, as if nothing could harm her. But it couldn't last, because Jasper would soon be leaving. And it was unsure just when exactly he would be returning.

"How much more time do you think we have?" she asked.

"Not nearly long enough," Jasper answered, his deep voice echoing pleasantly beneath her ear. "Then again, _no_ time with you is ever long enough."

Danielle lifted her head and gave him a small smile. "Does that mean you plan to keep me around for a while?" she asked jokingly, just to try to diffuse some of the heaviness that had been hanging over them since she had decided not to go to Phoenix.

Jasper moved his hand to rest it on her neck, his amber eyes serious and determined as he peered at her unblinkingly. "Darlin', when this mess is over, I am _never_ letting you out of my sight again," he told her seriously. "You are stuck with me forever."

Danielle smiled gently. "Forever sounds nice," she said, her voice almost a whisper.

Jasper finally flashed a hint of a smile, then leaned down to kiss her again. "I love you," he said against her lips. "I love you so very much."

Danielle felt her throat tighten with emotion, but refused to let that emotion get the better of her. "I love you, too, Jasper. With all my heart," she said, before pulling him in for another long kiss.

Jasper eventually pulled his lips from hers, then sighed and raised a hand to caress her cheek, his eyes flickering over her features as if trying to memorize what she looked like. Finally, Jasper released her and stepped backward. "We should head downstairs and see if anyone has heard anything from the others," he suggested, though he didn't sound overly enthused about it. "Why don't you change back into your clothes and meet me down there when you've finished?"

Danielle nodded, then, after Jasper grabbed the bag she had packed for him, they left his bedroom. Jasper continued on downstairs to rejoin his family, but Danielle headed for Alice's room, where she had left her clothes prior to going to play baseball. As she changed, she thought about how lighthearted and carefree they had all been just a few hours ago – it was strange how quickly that had all changed. What had started as a fun night had turned into one of fear and uncertainty, and she suddenly found herself wishing she could go back in time and warn their themselves against going anywhere near that field. Maybe then the nomads would never have come to speak to the Cullen's, maybe then James would have never set his sights on Bella, and maybe then they would not be faced with the hard decisions that had been made because of that.

Danielle had just finished putting on her shoes when the vibrating of her phone caught her attention. She pulled it from her back pocket, frowning a little when she saw it was her mother calling. She knew enough time had passed for Bella and Edward to have made it to the Swan house by now, but she had no idea if her mother knew anything about Bella's plans to leave Forks.

"Hey, mom," she greeted.

"Dani, are you with Bella?" Lynne asked, sounding stressed and worried.

Danielle stiffened. She knew it then – Bella _had_ made it home, she _had_ executed her plan to get away from her father, and, apparently, Charlie had told Lynne about it. "No. I'm with Jasper," she answered.

Lynne heaved. "What in the _world_ is going on?" she hissed. "Charlie just showed up at the door looking as if he'd been given two weeks to live and saying that Bella ran away," she proceeded to say. "You were with her tonight, right? What happened?"

"I don't know really," she lied in a rush. "One minute everything was fine, then she and Edward started fighting and things escalated so fast."

"Did he _do_ something to her?" Lynne demanded, leaving her with little doubt as to what she was _really_ asking.

"No! Nothing like that. He would _never_ do that," Danielle said hurriedly. "Like I said, I don't know what they were fighting about exactly. But Bella got really upset and couldn't be reasoned with."

"So she just decided to _run away?_ " Lynne asked incredulously. "Why didn't you try to _stop_ her, Dani? Why didn't you talk her out of it?"

Danielle suddenly realized that her not returning when Bella had might have been an error in judgement. After all, as her best friend it would only make sense that she would have gone home with Bella to try to talk her down from anything rash. She realized she needed to come up with an excuse for her absence, and quick, before her mother had the chance to get suspicious of anything.

"She and Edward left before I could talk to her about anything," she lied. "I stayed back with Jasper so she and Edward would have privacy to hash things out. I had no idea she was gonna run away. If I had known, I would've gone with her!"

Lynne heaved on her end of the line. When she didn't ask anymore question, Danielle took that as the sign that she had accepted her excuse. "Charlie is an absolute mess. This whole _thing_ is a mess."

"Let me try to call her and see if I can talk some sense into her," Danielle said, already moving toward the door so that she could go downstairs and tell the Cullen's that Edward and Bella were on their way back.

"Okay. Have Jasper bring you home while you do that. I want you back here," Lynne instructed.

"Okay," Danielle agreed. "I'll see you soon."

She ended the call and shoved her phone into her pocket, then left Alice's room and began to head downstairs. She could hear the voices of Jasper and his family as they conversed in the living room and quickened her pace, jogging down the stairs in her haste to get to them and relay the news.

"Guys, Edward and Bella are on their way back," she announced as she hit the bottom step. "And my mom called and Charlie is _freaking out_ – "

Danielle suddenly stopped short, her heart lurching in her chest. Jasper was in the living room, as was Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie. But there was another vampire, too, one she had seen for the first time that very night.

Laurent stood from the couch, his red eyes trained on her. Jasper was by her side in the blink of an eye, angling his body so that he stood between her and the nomad. Laurent's eyebrows stitched together for a moment, before they raised in surprise.

" _Another_ human?" he asked, looking to Carlisle in astonishment.

"Indeed she is," Carlisle confirmed.

"We did not know. We did not realize it. We thought she was simply another vampire," Laurent said with wonderment. She saw his nostrils flare for a moment as he smelled the air. "Although, I cannot see how we did not notice your scent when I can smell it so clearly now."

"She was wearing clothing belonging to a vampire at the time. Her scent was overshadowed by the scent clinging to the clothes," Carlisle explained, which had Laurent nodding in understanding.

Danielle glanced around at the Cullen's, who seemed _far_ too comfortable with Laurent's presence for her taste. Why were they acting so calm and so casually? He was one of the _nomads_ , one of the vampires responsible for all of the chaos that had ensued tonight. Why were they not ripping this guy to shreds?

"Okay, what the _hell_ is going on here?" Danielle finally demanded. "Why the _hell_ is he here?" she asked, pointing a finger at Laurent. "And why the _hell_ is everyone okay with it?"

Laurent eyebrows rose at her tone and her language, before he smirked with amusement. "A _feisty_ human," he commented, before looking at Jasper. "Perhaps now I am beginning to understand why you took her as your lover," he said.

Jasper said nothing, just narrowed his eyes warningly. Carlisle took that moment to step forward, drawing the attention of the room back to him. "To answer your question, Dani, Laurent is here on peaceful terms," he said. "He means no harm. He merely came here to warn us about James."

"Warn us about what exactly?" Danielle asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"About his ruthlessness, his trickiness, and his determination to succeed whenever he sets his sights on someone," Laurent answered. "I have been following James for some time, and I have not once seen him fail when he has decided to hunt someone down."

Danielle frowned with confusion. She had been sure that Laurent was the leader of the nomads, but the way he spoke suggested otherwise. "You make it sound like _he's_ the one in charge of your little gang."

"He is," Carlisle interjected. "Apparently James has Laurent act as though _he_ is in charge in order to throw off anyone they encounter and not draw attention to himself."

"As I said, he is tricky," Laurent said with a wry smile.

Danielle moved around Jasper, who had been standing before her like a sentry, his jaw set and his eyes fixed on Laurent. He shot her a sharp look, one that said she had better stay where she was. Danielle just placed a comforting hand on his arm and remained by his side. Laurent saw the whole exchange, and she did not miss the way he glanced between her and Jasper with something akin to fascination.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" she asked, turning her attention back to Laurent. "Why help us?"

"I grow weary of James' ways," Laurent answered. "I admit I am intrigued by the lifestyle that this coven leads. I wish to walk a new road, experience a new way of life that does not involve James and Victoria."

"He's not staying _here_ , right?" Danielle asked Carlisle, not bothering to conceal her dislike of the vampire.

"No," Carlisle said. "He has decided to keep his distance while we deal with James and Victoria. He will go to stay with our friends in Denali. They will accept him and help him with this new path."

Danielle nodded in understanding.

"Laurent should probably be going now," Jasper spoke up for the first time. "I do not think Edward will take kindly to his presence if he is still here when they arrive." Danielle had a feeling it wasn't Edward's reaction that Jasper was worried about – she thought it more likely that Jasper just didn't want Laurent around _her_ any longer than was necessary.

"I'd like to speak with him just a little while longer, actually," Carlisle said, giving Jasper a meaningful look. "Why don't you follow me into my office?" he suggested to Laurent, motioning toward the office door with a sweep of his hand.

Laurent nodded, then headed off with Carlisle. Danielle did not miss the way Laurent eyed her as he walked past, nor did she miss the low growl of warning Jasper let loose when the nomad's eyes lingered on her for longer than he liked.

"Well, _that_ was an unpleasant surprise," Danielle huffed once Carlisle and Laurent had disappeared into the office. "When did he get here?"

"While you were changing and talking to your mother on the phone," Jasper answered. Danielle nodded, thinking it would have been nice to get a little warning before coming downstairs, but decided not to comment on it. "What did you mother have to say?" he asked with furrowed brows.

Danielle quickly told Jasper, Esme, and Rosalie – who listened with little interest – about Charlie turning up at her mother's house in shambles and the lies she had had to come up with to explain why she hadn't attempted to stop Bella from running away. "I feel really bad for Charlie," she admitted, sighing heavily as she rubbed a hand over her face. "And if _I_ feel this bad, I can't even imagine how _Bella_ must feel."

"It's what's best for him," Jasper reminded her. "Everything will be better once James and Victoria are taken care of."

Danielle nodded, then raised her brows questioningly. "Speaking of James and Victoria, did Laurent say where they were?"

"Apparently they went into town to start tracking down Bella," he said with a frown.

Danielle couldn't help the alarm that zinged through her nerves. "So its possible they've found their way to Bella's house by now?" Jasper gave a slight nod, which made her sigh uneasily. "I guess that's not _all_ bad," she said, trying to stay optimistic. "If they found her house, maybe they saw her leave and won't bother hanging around there anymore, which means we won't be in danger there." She chose _not_ to think about any worst case scenarios, like James and Victoria following the others back to the Cullen house or launching any surprise attacks on Bella, Edward, Emmett, and Alice on the road.

"Let us hope that's the case," Jasper agreed. "I will feel a lot more comfortable if I know you're not anywhere near James and Victoria."

Danielle smiled and reached for his hand to give it a squeeze. "That makes two of us."

Danielle turned her eyes to the window after that, searching the dark trees for any signs of movement outside the house. There was nothing out of the ordinary to see, just the gentle swaying of the trees and rustling of bushes as they moved with the wind, but that didn't ease any of the anxiety in her belly. The fact remained that James and Victoria were still out there somewhere, and until her friends were safe and the two nomads had been dealt with, there would be no relaxing on her part.

* * *

It seemed to take a lifetime, but finally, Bella and her three Cullen escorts returned. Though they looked alert and stressed and, on Bella's part, incredibly guilty, they were completely unharmed, which was an enormous relief to all. They arrived just as Carlisle was showing Laurent out of the house, and, as Jasper had predicted, Edward did not take kindly to the vampires presence and immediately assumed the worst. The situation was quickly explained to him, however, which had Edward relaxing enough to listen to what Laurent had come to say. After the nomad vampire delivered his warning directly to Edward and Bella, he finally left the Cullen house.

There was no point in delaying the inevitable after that. Danielle and Bella, as well as the entire Cullen family, made their way into the garage, where they began to make quick work of packing up Jasper's car for the trip to Phoenix. While the Cullen's discussed their plans for laying out a false trail for James to follow using Bella's clothes, Danielle stood with her friend a little ways away, trying hard not to let her worry and fear get the better of her.

"You'll be safe with Jasper and Alice," she said reassuringly. "They won't let anything happen to you."

"I know," Bella said with a sigh. "I'm worried about Edward," she admitted quietly, shooting a brief look in her boyfriend's direction. "I'm afraid he'll do something rash and get himself hurt."

Danielle understood her concern, but smiled reassuringly none the less. "Something tells me he knows how to take care of himself," she said. "Besides," she added, "I don't think he'd do anything that would result in you guys not being able to be together. He's too crazy about you to let that happen."

Bella just nodded, not looking entirely convinced that Edward _wouldn't_ do something rash to protect her.

The vibrating of her cell phone had Danielle pulling the phone from her pocket and checking the caller ID. Upon seeing that it was her mother calling – likely wanting to know where she was and why she wasn't home yet – she sighed and silenced the call before sticking it back in her pocket.

"Your mom?" Bella asked knowingly.

Danielle nodded in confirmation. "She's probably worried that I haven't come home yet," she said. "She called me after you left your house wanting to know what the hell was going on. Charlie went over there and told her what had happened."

Bella pressed her lips together tightly. "Was he…was he okay?"

Danielle hesitated before answering. Lying about Charlie's current emotional condition felt wrong, but she didn't want to make Bella feel any worse than she clearly already did, either. "About as okay as could be expected, I guess," she answered vaguely.

"So not good then," Bella deciphered. She heaved and rubbed her eyes, before shaking her head. "I feel like such a jerk. I had to say some awful things to get him to let me leave," she confesses. "The _look_ on his _face_ when I left…I don't think I'll ever forget it."

Danielle placed a hand on Bella's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "You _had_ to do it, Bella. It's for his own good," she said. "And Charlie loves you. Whatever you said, he'll forgive you for it."

Bella smiled halfheartedly. "I hope so."

Their conversation was interrupted when Jasper and Edward appeared beside them. Neither vampire looked particularly happy, and as Alice slid gracefully into the passenger seat of Jasper's car, Danielle knew it was because the time had come for everyone to say goodbye.

"It's time to go," Edward said grimly.

Danielle and Bella both nodded, before looking back to each other. At the same time, they moved forward to hug one another fiercely. A lump formed in Danielle's throat as she squeezed her friend in a tight hug, her worry for Bella increasing tenfold now that it was time to part ways.

"I'll do whatever I can to help Charlie," she said in Bella's ear. "I'll make sure he's okay while you're gone."

Bella nodded against her shoulder. "I'll keep can eye on Jasper for you, alright?"

Danielle smiled sadly and nodded. "And I'll do my best to keep an eye on Edward, too," she promised in return.

They pulled back to be able to look at one another, but didn't release each other entirely. "Take care of yourself, alright?" Bella said earnestly. "Just…watch your back and lay low."

"I think _I'm_ supposed to be telling _you_ that," Danielle said with a small smirk.

"You're the one staying in Forks, remember?" Bella shot back. She hesitated, then raised her brows. "It's not too late to change your mind, Dani. You can still come with us."

"And invoke my mother's wrath when I drop off the face of the planet?" Danielle asked with a quirked brow. "She'd hunt us down and kill us all _herself,_ " she said, which made Bella smirk a bit in response. "I'll be fine," Danielle continued, uttering the same words for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "The Cullen's will make sure nothing happens to me. You just worry about keeping yourself safe, alright?"

Bella just nodded in return.

The two shared one more fierce hug, before they finally separated for good. Bella flashed her one last smile, then moved to join Edward, who led her away from the others for a moment of privacy. Danielle soon turned her full attention to Jasper, who stepped in close and grabbed her hand. He didn't look like he was holding up very well – all of the worry and stress he was carrying with him swirled clear as day in his eyes.

"This isn't goodbye forever, Jazz," Danielle said quietly.

Jasper frowned and shook his head. "It's still goodbye for too long," he countered.

"It'll only be a couple days," she said optimistically. "We can make it a couple days."

Jasper nodded once in agreement. "Emmett will take you home once we've left," he said. "I've asked him to stay with you while the rest of the family leads James and Victoria out of Forks."

"Won't the others need his help taking down James?" she asked.

"He'll still help them. Once they have run the nomads out of town, Emmett will join them to dispose of James. Until then, his job is to make sure _you're_ safe," Jasper said firmly.

"Okay," Danielle said. Despite feeling fairly confident that she was not in imminent danger, she _did_ feel a little better knowing that Emmett would be close by until the coast was clear.

Jasper looked at her for a moment, then lifted a hand to her cheek, his cold fingertips gently gliding along her cheekbone. "Stay indoors tonight. And I know you feel bad for Charlie, but do _not_ go to Bella's house to talk to him. It isn't safe." Danielle frowned at that command, but before she could say anything about it, Jasper gave her a firm look. "Promise me you won't go over there, Danielle."

Danielle sighed, then nodded. "I won't go."

"Thank you," Jasper said.

He then leaned down to give her a lingering kiss, pulling her in tight against his chest. Even though she knew his family was only feet away, and though she normally would have shied away from displaying this sort of affection in front of them, she wrapped her arms tightly around Jasper's neck to kiss him firmer, wanting to make the most of this moment while she could. After a few seconds, Jasper pulled his lips from hers to hug her, his nose burying into her hair.

"I'll call you soon," he promised.

"I'll be waiting by the phone," she said in return.

Jasper managed a smile. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

He kissed her one last time, then, reluctantly, they parted from each other. Jasper gave her a long look, then went to open the driver's side door of his car and slid in behind the wheel. Danielle went to stand next to Esme, who wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. They all watched as Bella and Edward said his last goodbyes to each other, before Edward finally helped Bella into the backseat and closed the door behind her.

"Drive fast. Be safe," Edward told them.

"We'll take good care of her," Alice promised. "I'll call if I see anything."

Edward nodded, then stepped back to join Danielle and the rest of the Cullen's. Jasper turned his head to give Danielle one last look, before starting the car. She gave him one more smile, then with Edward and Esme on either side of her and the stinging threat of tears beginning to prickle in her eyes, she watched as the car pulled forward out of the garage, then disappeared into the dark night.

* * *

 **Oh, the drama! Thoughts?**


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**So sorry for the wait, but, as always, thank you to everyone for your support and your kind words! I hope you enjoy this new chapter!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Sixteen_

Danielle sat quietly in the front seat of Rosalie's red convertible, her eyes trained on the trees that flew past her window as Emmett drove her home. She glanced over at him, noticing that his shoulders were hunched slightly so that his head wouldn't hit the roof of the car, which they had wisely left up for security purposes. Emmett was far too big for the fancy convertible when the top wasn't down, and if it had not been such a crappy, depressing night, Danielle might have found his current position quite comical. She didn't laugh, though, nor did she even have it in her to tease him about it. Instead, she just let out a long exhale through her nose and turned her eyes back to the window, trying hard not to think about the fact that the distance between her and Jasper was growing larger and larger with each passing second.

Her fingers itched to grab her phone and call him already, but she resisted the urge. Jasper hadn't even been gone for half an hour yet. She doubted anything had happened – calling him so soon when their goodbye had been so difficult would probably only make things worse for the both of them.

As they pulled onto her street, Emmett stopped the car several houses down from the one she lived in. He kept his foot on the brake but didn't put the car in park, his eyes narrowing as he glanced around quickly, obviously searching the area for any signs of unfriendly vampires. Danielle had to guess that he didn't see anything because he finally pulled forward, only stopping again once they were in front of Danielle's house.

Emmett put the car in park, but didn't cut the engine or take the keys out of the ignition. "I'm going to get out and have a look around," he said, dropping his voice so low that she almost had to strain to hear him. She assumed he was talking so quietly in an attempt to prevent any eavesdroppers of the murderous, immortal kind from hearing what he was saying. "If I'm not back in one minute, you get the hell out of here. Drive as fast as you can back to my place and call Carlisle," he instructed. "For now, just…stay down and stay quiet. You got it?"

It probably should have been comforting, the fact that Emmett was taking this so seriously and taking so many precautions to make sure she was absolutely safe. But, to be honest, the fact that _Emmett_ – goofy, obnoxious, sarcastic Emmett – was being so serious was only serving to freak her out even _more_ than she already was. It proved just how dangerous all of this was, which had her feeling uneasy enough to wonder if maybe she had made a mistake in choosing not to go to Phoenix with Jasper, Alice, and Bella.

Danielle sucked in a breath and pushed that thought away, telling herself to calm down and ignore her mounting anxiety. "I got it," she whispered with a nod to Emmett.

He gave her shoulder a quick pat, then opened the driver's side door and slunk out into the night, moving so quickly and quietly that he seemed to just evaporate into the air. Once he was gone, Danielle wiggled her way, quite ungracefully, over the center console and sat in Emmett's abandoned seat, one hand clutching the wheel tightly, the other hovering over the gear stick, ready to throw the car into drive and take off if need be. Danielle waited, her eyes jumping around wildly, trying to catch a glimpse of Emmett if possible. She couldn't see him, though. All she saw was her usual, familiar street looking as quiet and normal as it always did.

Just as she was beginning to wonder if a minute had gone by or not, Emmett appeared by the window, making jump out of momentary fear. She relaxed quickly, however, and cut the engine of the car before getting out so that she could stand next to him.

"Everything's good?" she asked, just to hear him say it aloud.

Emmett nodded, but frowned in the direction of Bella's house. "James was definitely there at some point. I could smell him. He's gone now, though," he said. "He didn't go to your house, either. I didn't pick up his scent anywhere, inside or out."

Danielle eyebrows jumped up in surprise. "You went into my house?" she asked, unsure what impressed her more – that he had covered so much ground in less than a minute, or that he had actually been able to go through her house without her mother noticing his presence.

"Wasn't gonna let you go in without checking for monsters under the bed," he said with a slight smirk, looking more relaxed now that he was convinced there was no immediate danger nearby.

Danielle smiled a bit and patted his rock hard shoulder. "Thanks, Em."

He nodded, then lifted a brow and glanced pointedly toward her house. "Charlie's in there, just to give you a heads up," he revealed. "He doesn't sound like he's doing so great," he added with a cringe.

Danielle sighed, having fully expected that Charlie might still be with her mother when she returned. "Can't say I'm surprised," she said with resignation, knowing that whatever awaited her inside likely wasn't going to be anything good. "Thanks for the warning, though."

Emmett smiled supportively, then gently pushed her in the direction of her house. "Go inside while I move the car somewhere else," he instructed.

"You'll come back when you're done?" Danielle asked.

After Emmett nodded to assure her he would return, she started up the path that led to her front door. Emmett drove the convertible away just as she reached her porch, and once Danielle was certain both he and Rosalie's red convertible were out of sight, she sucked in a deep breath and went inside.

Danielle had never considered Charlie Swan to be a very expressive man – she thought him quiet and reserved, someone who did not wear his emotions on his sleeve and certainly _not_ someone who was easy to read. But the moment she walked into her living room and saw him sitting on the couch with her mother, she knew in an instant exactly what he was feeling, because it was written all over his face. He was completely torn up, his expression a heartbreaking combination of pain, helplessness, and guilt. He sat with a mug of what smelled like coffee clutched tightly in his hands, his eyes staring blankly at the table in front of him while Lynne rubbed his back and spoke quiet, comforting words to him. When they realized Danielle was there, however, he finally came out of his trance. Charlie surged to his feet at the sight of her, some of the coffee in his mug spilling over the side in his haste.

"Did you get through to Bella?" he asked at once. "Did you talk to her?"

Danielle bit her lip, uncertain what she could say that wouldn't make things even worse for him. "I talked to her. She's alright," she finally said, thinking that was the answer that would cause the least amount of panic at the moment.

Charlie blinked at her, then heaved and dropped heavily onto the couch, setting his coffee on the coffee table on front of him and dropping his face into his hands. Danielle couldn't tell if he was relieved or not. She shared a brief look with her mother, who was frowning with worry, before shifting her attention back to Charlie as he lifted his head to look at Danielle again.

"What _happened_ , Dani?" he asked with confusion, looking desperate for answers. "What went wrong? How did things change so fast?"

She cursed internally, wishing she had taken the time to conjure up some kind of believable story with Bella before she had left. "I don't know what happened. It was a perfectly normal night. We were all having a good time. And then…things just started getting messy," she said, which was, technically, the truth. "She and Edward started arguing and things just kept escalating. Before anyone could try to intervene, she demanded Edward take her home and they left."

Charlie stared at her as he processed her words. "I just…I can't understand how _one_ fight with her boyfriend could result in this, though," he said in confusion. "There _has_ to be something more, something that happened before that," he mused aloud, his eyebrows creasing together. He seemed lost in thought for a moment or two, before looking to Danielle again. "You're her best friend, Dani. Has she said anything to you? Anything at all?"

Danielle shifted on her feet and glanced toward Lynne, who gave her a look that clearly told her to speak up if she knew anything. Danielle sighed, trying to wrack her brain for a way out of this conversation.

"Maybe she just got overwhelmed," she blurted out. "School has been stressing her out lately, and I know she worries about her mom being so far away. Plus things with Edward have kind of gotten serious _way_ faster than she thought it would." When Charlie's eyes went wide and flashed with anger, she knew he had taken what she had just said the wrong way. "Not like that!" Danielle corrected quickly. "He's not like, trying to pressure her in to _doing_ anything. She's just never been in a relationship before and she's still trying to figure all this out."

She decided it was time to stop talking before she did more damage than good. Danielle pressed her lips together, cursing herself for coming up with such lame excuses but still hoping they would be enough to make Charlie stop questioning her.

"Is it something…something I did?" Charlie asked quietly.

"No," Danielle said at once, shaking her head vehemently.

Charlie didn't look like he believed her. He rubbed his eyes, another heavy sigh escaping him, before he rose to his feet yet again. "I need to go after her," he said with newfound determination. "She's upset. The last thing she needs to be doing is driving. I'm gonna go out there and find her."

"Charlie," Lynne interjected, getting to her feet and stopping him with a gentle hand on his arm. "You're just as upset as she is. I don't think you need to be behind the wheel of a car, either."

"Then I'll put out an APB on her truck to every police station from here to Phoenix," he said fiercely. " _Someone_ will find her. _Someone_ will stop her."

Danielle took a step forward and shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea," she said, knowing that if anyone actually did find Bella's truck, they would _not_ find Bella with it, which would result in questions that would be hard to answer. "She sounded alright on the phone. She told me she just wants some space right now, some time to herself to think things over. I think we should let her have that."

"I kinda agree with Dani on this one," Lynne admitted carefully. "If Bella wants space and you take that away from her, it might do more damage than good. Maybe you should just…let this play out. Let her figure it out on her own."

Charlie gave Lynne a disbelieving look. "And that's what _you_ would do if Dani suddenly decided to run away back to Texas?" he asked, his tone betraying his skepticism.

Lynne said nothing in response to that, but she didn't need to – everyone in the room knew she would have taken on heaven and hell to find Danielle and bring her back if she had tried to pull anything like this. "The point is," Lynne said, dodging Charlie's question, "Bella is alright. She's a smart girl, Charlie. She won't do anything to hurt herself," she reassured. "And at least now Dani is in contact with her. I'm sure she'll _stay_ in contact with her to make sure nothing's happened to her, too."

"Absolutely," Danielle confirmed, nodding quickly. "I'll keep you updated on everything she does. I promise."

Charlie looked between Danielle and Lynne a few times, before easing back down onto the couch. He sighed heavily with defeat, reaching for his mug to take a sip of coffee. He then looked up at Lynne, his brows raising. "Got anything stronger than coffee?" he asked.

Lynne nodded and took his coffee mug. Sensing that the conversation was over, Danielle started toward the stairs to make her escape, wanting to get away from Charlie and all of his questions before she said something that might expose her lies. "I'm, uh…gonna go upstairs," she announced.

Charlie said nothing in response, but Lynne nodded and moved around the coffee table, walking closer to Danielle. She placed a hand on Danielle's shoulder and guided her toward the stairs, casting a quick look at Charlie over her shoulder before leaning closer. "How are you holding up?" she asked with concern. "Are you okay?"

Danielle sucked in a deep breath, then shrugged. "I'm worried about Bella," she admitted honestly. "But…at least she's safe," she said, knowing fully well that Jasper and Alice would take good care of her. "I just hope she comes back soon."

Lynne quirked a brow. "You think she's gonna come back?" she asked.

Danielle nodded. "I do," she said confidently. "This Phoenix thing…I don't think it's permanent. I didn't wanna tell Charlie that, though. I didn't wanna get his hopes up, just in case."

Lynne made a sound of understanding. "Well, I hope you're right," she said. Lynne glanced at Charlie again, then turned back to Danielle with a long sigh. "Why don't you go ahead and go to your room now?" she suggested gently. "I'm gonna stay here with Charlie for as long as he needs me."

Danielle nodded, smiling a bit when Lynne squeezed her shoulder and kissed her on the temple. After shooting one last look at Charlie, Danielle went upstairs and stepped into her bedroom, happy to leave the uncomfortable atmosphere in the living room. She couldn't help but to lean back against the bedroom door once it was shut behind her, her eyes sliding closed and a sigh of weariness escaping her lips.

"You handled that pretty well," a familiar voice complimented, making her eyes open again.

Emmett was leaning against the wall right next to her bedroom window, which he had apparently opened and crawled through sometime while she had been downstairs. She sighed and shrugged a shoulder, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, I guess," she agreed halfheartedly. "I feel really bad for Charlie," she admitted, shaking her head. "And I _hate_ how much I just had to lie to him and my mom."

Emmett offered a sympathetic smile. "It's for the best," he reminded her. "The less they know, the less we have to worry about their safety."

Danielle just nodded in response. Her eyes slid over to the clock on her nightstand, which read that it was nearing eleven o'clock. It was later than she had realized, and as she took a moment to really think about all that had happened that evening, she suddenly and swiftly felt exhaustion begin to creep into her bones. She pushed away from the door and took a few steps closer to her bed.

"It's been a rough night. I think I need some sleep," she said to Emmett.

Emmett nodded in understanding, moving away from the wall and stepping close enough to put a strong, freezing cold hand on her shoulder. "Get some rest. I'll post myself up on the roof and keep an eye on things. You don't have to worry. I won't let anything bad happen to anyone," he promised.

Danielle smiled, then stepped forward to hug Emmett. He did not hesitate to hug her back, patting her gently between the shoulder blades. "Thanks, Em," she said, pulling away from him again. "I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything," he denied with a firm shake of his head. "You're my best friend, and this is what friends do for each other. They help each other and protect each other. No questions asked."

Maybe it was because so much had happened that night or maybe it was because of stress, but Emmett's words had her feeling such a strong rush of affection that it made tears spring to her eyes. She coughed a bit, trying to keep a handle on herself. "Yeah, I guess they do," she agreed with a nod and a fond smile.

Emmett inclined his head to her, bumped his fist against hers, then turned and started to climb his way back through the window. "Goodnight, Dani. If you need me, I'll be close by," he said in parting. He hesitated with one leg through the open window, however, and turned back with a smirk. "Oh, but before I go, I gotta ask…did you _really_ hiss at those nomads?" he asked with obvious amusement.

Danielle flushed with embarrassment. "I didn't really think about it. It just…came out," she said with a sheepish shrug.

Emmett's smirk widened. "Can I hear it?" he asked.

Danielle gave him a sharp look. "Absolutely not," she said firmly, knowing Emmett would make fun of her for the rest of her life if she did so.

Emmett frowned regretfully, though the amusement never left his features. "C'mon. Just a _little_ hiss," he taunted.

" _Goodnight_ , Emmett," Danielle countered patiently, sticking firm to her resolve.

Emmett heaved and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. " _Fine_. Party pooper." He disappeared through the window after that, leaving Danielle alone in her bedroom.

She shook her head to herself, before sighing heavily and raking hand through her hair. With the need to sleep slowly beginning to consume her, she stepped into her bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, then went back into the bedroom to change. Once she was finally in bed, Danielle closed her eyes and allowed her body a moment to relax into the mattress. She could hear the sounds of insects and rustling leaves outside through the window, which she had decided to leave open for Emmett in case of emergency. She could also hear the faint, muffled voices of her mother and Charlie, who were apparently still downstairs in the same place she had left them.

Rolling onto her side, Danielle reached for her cell phone, which she had placed on the nightstand. She flipped open the phone and quickly scrolled to Jasper's name in her contact list, only hesitating for a nanosecond before dialing out. Danielle was not overly surprised when he answered on the first ring.

"Hey, darlin'," he said, the sound of his deep voice immediately soothing her frazzled nerves.

"Hi," Danielle said in return. "I waited as long as I could to call you, but I couldn't hold out any longer. I needed to hear your voice," she added earnestly.

"It seems you and I are on the same page, then. I was just about to call you for the exact same reason," he said, which made her smile. "Is everything alright over there?" he asked with a hint of concern.

"Could be better, could be worse," Danielle admitted. "Charlie's over here. He's pretty torn up. He had a lot of questions for me when I got home, too, but I covered for y'all as best as I could," she said.

Jasper hummed in understanding. "What about Emmett? Is he with you?" he asked next.

"Up on the roof, probably eavesdropping on our conversation," she said. She heard a distinct _thump_ from up above her head in response, which made her smirk. " _Definitely_ eavesdropping," she confirmed.

"For once, I don't mind him eavesdropping. If he's able to listen to us it means he's close to you, which means you have protection. And if I can't be there to protect you myself, there's no one I'd rather be there to do it in my place than Emmett," Jasper said seriously.

Danielle rolled onto her back with a sigh. "I still don't think anything's gonna happen, but I _do_ feel better knowing Em's here," she confessed.

"You and me both," Jasper agreed.

Another _thump_ from Emmett overhead made her smile again.

"Where are y'all right now?" Danielle asked after a small beat of silence.

"We're in Oregon," Jasper answered.

Danielle's eyes went wide. " _Already_?" she asked incredulously. They hadn't even been _gone_ for that long. "Exactly _how_ fast as you driving, Jasper Hale?" she couldn't help but ask with a hint of scolding.

"As fast as the situation necessitates," he answered back patiently.

Danielle frowned. Knowing he had managed to put so much distance between them already made a hollow feeling enter her body, but she supposed it was good that Bella was well away from the nomads. "I hate that you're so far away already," she said with a sigh.

"Me too. But like we said, it's only temporary," Jasper said soothingly.

Danielle nodded, even though he couldn't see her do it. "Any word on James and Victoria?" she asked. "Has Alice seen anything?"

"They haven't left Forks yet, but they're both on the hunt," he said, which made her tense a little. "But they will fall for the fake trail that Edward and the others have laid out," Jasper told her. "They'll be gone soon, then you won't have anything to worry about."

"Good," Danielle said with relief, knowing she'd rest a lot easier once she knew that the nomads had left Forks. "How about Bella? Is she alright?"

Jasper hesitated before answering. "She's…struggling," he answered truthfully, lowering his tone so as not to be overheard. "I can feel a lot of fear and a lot of guilt from her."

Danielle frowned deeply with concern. It was to be expected, of course, that Bella would be having a hard time – she was being hunted and had been forced to leave her home, her friends, her family, _and_ Edward behind in order to save her own life. Anyone in her shoes would have a hard time with something like that. Still, it made Danielle feel useless to know that her friend was struggling so much and there was nothing she could do about it.

"I wish there was something I could do to help," she sighed.

"Alice is doing her best to keep her calm," Jasper reassured. "Once we're in Phoenix and once Bella gets some rest, hopefully she will start to feel better."

"Yeah, hopefully."

There was a momentary lull in their conversation, which was just enough time for Danielle to remember exactly how tired she actually was. Acknowledging her own exhaustion immediately made her body feel heavier and had a yawn sneaking its way past her lips. "You should get some sleep, darlin'. I can practically feel how tired you are through the phone," Jasper suggested.

She didn't want to get off the phone. In fact, she would have happily talked to Jasper for the rest of the night if she'd had the energy to. She _didn't_ have the energy, though, and found herself nodding in agreement. "Sleep sounds good. It's been a rough night. It's left me feeling pretty drained." Danielle yawned again. "You'll call me if anything happens?" she asked.

"Yes, I will," he promised.

"Okay," Danielle said, her limbs feeling heavier by the moment. "I'll talk to you soon."

"You will," Jasper confirmed. "I love you, Danielle," he then said.

Her heart clenched at the words. "I love you, too, Jasper."

He hesitated, then said, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Danielle ended the call, then pulled the phone back to look at the screen. Finally, with a sigh, she clicked the flip phone shut and put it back on the nightstand. She then reached over to turn off the bedside lamp, before settling in to finally get some sleep.

* * *

A knock on the door was what woke her the next morning. Danielle's head popped off the pillow at the sound, her eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to adjust to both the brightness of her bedroom and the sudden jerk back to alertness. Her bleary eyes found the clock on her nightstand, which read ten-twenty three in the morning. When she heard the bedroom door open, she blinked and looked at her mother, who had just popped her head into the room.

"Dani? It's time to wake up," Lynne said gently.

Danielle nodded and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them. Between missing Jasper terribly, her worry for Bella, and the troubling dreams that had plagued her sleep, she hadn't gotten a very good sleep the night before. She felt heavy and exhausted and wished she could just curl right back up and get back to bed. When she looked at her mother again, Danielle quickly realized that she was not the only one who'd been struggling the night before. It was hard to miss the bags beneath Lynne's eyes and the stress that was written all over her face. Lynne had obviously been up late with Charlie. Danielle couldn't help but wonder if Charlie had stayed overnight. She didn't recall hearing him leave at any point.

"How's Charlie?" Danielle asked.

"He's…hanging in there," Lynne answered with a heavy sigh. "He stayed over last night. I didn't want him to be by himself," she went on to say, answering the question that had been floating around Danielle's mind. "He just went back home, but I convinced him to take a personal day."

Danielle nodded. "Probably for the best," she said. She didn't think Charlie would be of much use to anyone at work given everything that was going on. Danielle rubbed her face one last time, then finally pushed off the covers and stood from her bed. "I'll start getting ready for work," she said, seeing as it was Sunday and Lynne would undoubtedly be expecting her to go in for a shift at the bookshop.

"Actually," Lynne said, which made Danielle pause, "I was thinking it might be better for _you_ to stay home, too. I know last night was hard for you, too. And no offence, but you're looking a little like a zombie today," Lynne said with a small smile.

Danielle's eyebrows shot upward. "Are you sure?"

Lynne nodded and stepped closer, so that she could rest her hands on Danielle's shoulders. "I'm sure. Stay here. Take some time to yourself. Patricia and I can handle the bookshop today," she said with a firm nod.

Danielle finally nodded in agreement. "Alright," she said.

Lynne smiled, then pulled her in for a tight hug. Danielle hugged her back, flashing a small smile when Lynne kissed her on the temple. Finally, her mother pulled away. "I'm gonna go start getting ready. There's breakfast downstairs if you're hungry."

"Thanks, Mom," Danielle said gratefully.

Lynne left the room after that, leaving the bedroom door open as she went. Once she was alone, Danielle went to the open window and braced her hands on the sill, leaning out far enough to be able to look up at the roof. "Em?" she said. "You there?"

When there was no response, she took that to mean that Emmett was either off doing a perimeter check or that he had been relieved of his body-guard duties. Danielle frowned, her eyes turning toward the Swan house. Briefly, she wondered where Jasper, Alice, and Bella were now, and whether or not her friend was doing any better. Finally, she pulled her gaze away and ducked back into her bedroom, then went back over to her nightstand to grab her cell phone so that she could call Jasper. As she picked up the phone, she noticed a piece of paper that had been tucked underneath it. She had looked at his school notes enough times to recognize the handwriting to be Emmett's.

 _Dani –  
J & V are gone. Left to go and help the others. Jasper told me not to wake you up and let you get your rest. If you need anything, just call. All of this will be over soon.  
\- E  
P.S. You were drooling in your sleep. Gross._

Danielle couldn't help but roll her eyes at his post script as she finished reading the note he had left. She still smiled, though, feeling a huge weight lift off of her shoulders. Though she was still worried about the Cullen's and what they were going to have to do to put an end to all of this, to at least know that James and Victoria were out of Forks was definitely a massive relief. Danielle shoved the note into her nightstand drawer, then grabbed her phone and quickly opened it. She had missed one call from Jasper while she had been sleeping, but he hadn't left a voicemail. Instead, he had sent a text telling her to call him whenever she woke up.

Danielle dialed his number, unsurprised when, once again, he answered on the first ring. "Morning, darlin'," he said in greeting, sounding relieved to be hearing from her.

"Morning," she said back, smiling at the sound of his voice. "How's everything going?"

"Everything is going fine. Or, at least, going to plan," Jasper said. "We're more than halfway to Phoenix by now. We should be arriving sometime tonight. As for the nomads, they followed the false trail out of Forks early this morning. They are no concern of yours anymore."

Danielle sighed in relief. "Good," she said. "What about Bella? Any changes?"

"She's asleep, but she's still having a difficult time," Jasper informed.

Danielle made a sound of understanding. "Well, with the nomads gone, we're one step closer to all this mess being over with," she said optimistically.

"That we are," Jasper agreed. "Are you going to work today?"

"No, my mom told me to stay home," Danielle said. "I guess she thinks work would be too stressful with everything that's going on."

"I'm actually a little relieved to hear that you're staying home," Jasper admitted, indeed sounding rather pleased. "Even though the nomads are gone, I still think it's a good idea for you to stay put and keep a low profile. Any chance you can convince her to let you stay home from school tomorrow as well?"

Danielle made a sound of skepticism. "I dunno. That might be pushing it," she said. "I don't really see any reason to skip school anyway. In fact, it's probably better if I go to school. With Edward and the others dealing with James and you two whisking Bella off to Phoenix, people might talk if I go M.I.A. too."

"I suppose you are right," Jasper agreed with a sigh. "Just…be careful. Alice said you will be fine, but I still think we need to be cautious, just in case."

"I know," Danielle reassured. "I'll be surrounded by people at school, which is a good thing. If it'll make you feel better, I won't even come home after school tomorrow. I'll go straight to my mom's bookshop so that I won't be alone."

"Sounds like a good idea," Jasper said approvingly. They talked for a few more minutes after that, until Jasper's end of the conversation started to sound a little fuzzy. "I'm going to go ahead and let you go now, darlin'. The reception here is getting spotty," he eventually said, his voice cutting in an out a few times. "I'll call you back in a little while, alright?"

"Okay. Be safe. And tell Alice and Bella I'm thinking about them," she instructed.

"I will," Jasper promised.

"I love you. I'll talk to you soon," Danielle told him.

"I love you, too."

The call ended after that, which had Danielle pulling the phone away to look at it. Sighing, she set the phone back on her nightstand and plugged it in to keep the battery fully charged. Then she went into her bathroom to start getting ready for the day.

It ended up being a long and very uneventful day. Her mother left for the bookshop a little after eleven, promising that she would be home before six and making Danielle promise to call if she needed anything. Once she was gone, Danielle proceeded to spend the majority of the day lounging on the couch and watching various, mind-numbing reality shows in an attempt to keep herself preoccupied. She kept her phone close by, however, and ended up talking to Jasper twice, once around noon and then again around three. There weren't any new developments to report either time, but talking to him made her feel better, so she certainly wasn't going to complain.

Around four, as she was munching on chips and scrolling through the television guide, her phone began to vibrate again. Thinking it was likely just Jasper calling again, she muted the television and reached for her phone. When she saw Bella's name on the caller ID however, her heart jumped in her chest and she quickly yanked the phone open, finding herself up and on her feet without a second thought.

"Bella?" she asked as she answered.

"Hey, Dani," a tired voice said back.

Danielle frowned deeply at the weariness she could hear in her friend's voice. "Oh, Bella. You sound awful," she commented worriedly.

"I _feel_ awful," Bella responded. "It's been…pretty rough."

"Yeah, I know," Danielle sympathized. "Have you talked to Edward?"

"No," Bella answered, sounding even more forlorn now. "Alice and Jasper said he's fine, that he's with the rest of the Cullen's. He's so busy with James and Victoria, though, that we haven't been able to talk yet."

"I'm sure you'll hear from him soon," Danielle told her optimistically.

"I hope so." Bella paused, then sighed heavily. "God, I feel so horrible about all of this, Dani," she said, her voice dropping lower. It seemed like she's was trying not to be overheard, but considering the fact that she had two vampires with super hearing in the car, the attempt was a futile one. "This is such a mess, and it's all _my_ fault."

"No it's not," Danielle countered firmly. "There's only _one_ person to blame for this, and it's James. He's the psychopath that decided to hunt you. If he had just left you alone like the Cullen's told him to, this situation would have never happened. So don't blame yourself, because you haven't done anything wrong."

"But the Cullen's – " Bella started to counter.

"Are perfectly capable of handling this situation," Danielle interrupted. "They _chose_ to help, Bella. They _want_ to help. Not because of obligation, but because they _care_. So stop trying to find ways to make yourself feel guilty, because that's not gonna help anything. Okay?"

Bella hesitated, then sighed again. "Okay," she agreed. There was another pause. "How's my dad?" she asked to change the subject.

Danielle found herself walking toward the window in the front room to push the curtain aside and look at the Swan house. Charlie's police cruiser was still in the driveway, but she couldn't see any movement in any of the windows. She wondered what he had been doing all day and whether or not he was alright.

"I haven't seen him today, but he wasn't doing so well last night," she said truthfully. "He was at my house when Emmett brought me home," she began to explain, unsure just how much Jasper had relayed to Bella but wanting to make sure her friend was up to date regardless. "He had a lot of questions for me, but I think I managed to keep him from getting suspicious about anything. He ended up staying the night over here. My mom didn't want him to be alone."

"Is he…" Bella cleared her throat, but her voice still sounded shaky and full of emotion when she spoke again. "Is he mad at me?"

"I wouldn't say he's mad, but he's definitely worried and definitely confused. Maybe a little scared, too," Danielle said.

Bella made a noise of understanding. "I'll have a _lot_ to make up for when I come back," she said sadly. "Assuming he _lets_ me come back."

"He will," Danielle said with confidence. "He loves you, Bella. He'll be thrilled to have you back home when all of this is over."

"I hope you're right," Bella said. "I'm gonna go now. I just wanted to check in and see what was going on back home. If, uh…if you see my dad, can you just tell him I'm safe? And also that I'm…sorry?"

"Of course I can," Danielle said. "Try not to worry, okay? Everything's gonna be fine. You'll see."

"Yeah," Bella agreed, though it sounded halfhearted. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," Danielle promised. "Call me whenever you want, alright?"

"Alright. Bye, Dani."

"Bye, Bella."

Danielle sighed as she ended the call, unable to help frowning with worry. Jasper had said Bella was having a hard time, but to hear firsthand just how tired and completely beat down Bella sounded made her feel even more concerned for her friend than she already had. There was nothing to be done, though, that she knew already. Bella wouldn't be her normal self again until the nomads were dead and she was back in Forks. Until then, all Danielle could do was be as optimistic and supportive as possible and try her best to keep her friend from spiraling any more than she already had.

Danielle tapped her phone against her hand, her eyes turning back to the window to peer at the Swan house again. Admittedly, she was worried about Charlie, too. It was likely her mother had been checking in on him, but the fact that he had been alone all day with no word from Bella and no clues as to what was going on didn't sit well with her.

Danielle stared at the house for one more moment, then finally came to a decision. She was going to see Charlie and make sure he was alright. Yes, Jasper had told her to stay away from the Swan house, and yes, she had promised him she would not go. But considering the nomads were gone and she was no longer in danger, she really didn't see the harm in going next door anymore. So after slipping her phone into her back pocket, she went into the kitchen to locate a Tupperware full of leftovers to take to Charlie, just in case he hadn't been eating. Then she headed for the front door and left the house.

It was drizzling when she stepped outside and made her way across the street, but she was so used to it by now that she barely noticed. Once she had reached the front door of the Swan house, she shifted the Tupperware to one hand and rang the doorbell. It took longer than usual for Charlie to answer the door, so much so that Danielle rang the bell again, beginning to doubt whether he would answer at all. Eventually, though, she heard the lock on the door slide out of place before the door itself slowly creaked open.

Charlie peered down at her, looking ragged and disheveled. He was wearing the same clothes as the day before, which were beyond wrinkled by now. There were bags under his eyes and more stubble than usual on his face, and he smelled of beer. Danielle tried not to look as alarmed as she felt at how bad he looked, offering a sympathetic smile instead. "Hi, Charlie."

"Dani," he said back, his voice gravelly.

She hesitated, then extended the leftovers to him. "For you. I was worried you weren't eating."

Charlie looked at the Tupperware, then reluctantly reached out to take it. "Thanks," he said, setting it on the table next to the door. Danielle had a feeling that it might end up staying there, too. "Is that all you came for?" he asked as he faced her again, his tone dull and lifeless.

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "I, uh…spoke to Bella," she revealed, which made him stand a little straighter. "She wanted me to let you know that she's safe. And that she's sorry for everything."

Charlie stared at her, then pursed his lips with dissatisfaction. "She could've told me that _herself_ if she'd just answer her phone when I call her," he asked with frustration. "She seems pretty set on ignoring me, though."

Danielle pressed her lips together, unsure what to say at first. "She just…thinks it'd be too hard to talk to you right now," she said, giving the first excuse that came to mind. "But she _is_ thinking about you. And she really _is_ sorry."

Charlie heaved, then finally nodded his head in acceptance. He was quiet for a moment, his eyes turning elsewhere as his brows furrowed together. He looked deep in thought for a moment, before he shook himself out of it and looked back to her. "Thank you for the food," he told her. "And thank you for delivering Bella's message. At least I know she's alright," he said, inclining his head to her.

Danielle took that to mean that their conversation was over and that Charlie wanted to be left alone. "You're welcome. If I hear from her again, I'll be sure to let you know."

Charlie didn't say anything, just nodded in understanding. With a small smile and an awkward wave, Danielle said goodbye and turned to leave, not wanting to intrude any longer. She made her way across the yard, glancing over her shoulder when she heard the door click shut behind her, then shifted her gaze forward again as she reached the street.

Suddenly she froze, her eyes doing a double take toward a patch of trees on the other side of the street. For a few seconds she stood right where she was, her brows stitched together with uncertainty as she eyed the trees. Danielle could have _sworn_ she had just seen something over there when she had turned her eyes forward again, but now that she was really looking, there was nothing to see but green foliage. Was her own paranoid mind playing tricks on her, or had something been there?

Before she could decide which one it was, a loud _BOOM_ of thunder overhead made her jump nearly out of her skin. Danielle cursed, her heart thumping hard against her ribs and eyes glaring at the sky as she recovered from her momentary fright. Finally, when the light drizzle began to turn into much heavier rain, she wrapped her arms around herself and hurried back across the street to her house, forgetting all about whatever she had – or hadn't – seen in the trees in her haste to avoid getting soaked.

Lynne came home around five fifteen, but she didn't stay for long. She changed out of her work clothes and sat down to eat dinner with Danielle, but once they had finished eating it wasn't long at all before she was filling another Tupperware with their leftovers and going across the street to check in on Charlie. Left alone again, Danielle went upstairs to finish up the two homework assignments that she had put off doing in light of recent events, knowing she needed to finish it before school the next day or she would get in trouble with her teachers. She called Jasper once she had finished and spent the next half hour talking with him. She was told that the rest of the Cullen's were still leading James and Victoria on a wild goose chase, and that he, Alice, and Bella were nearly to Phoenix now, where they planned to find a hotel close to the airport and hole up until everything was safe again. By the time they were saying their goodbye's for the night, Lynne had returned home. Tired and worn out from a tumultuous few days, Lynne called out a weary goodnight from the first floor and went to bed. Danielle, feeling equally in need of a decent sleep after her crummy sleep the night before, soon went to bed herself.

* * *

The next morning, Danielle woke up to a surprisingly sunny day. She went to the window, smiling to herself when she was actually able to see blue skies overhead and feel the warmth of the sun on her skin. This was good – the Cullen's were notorious for skipping school when the weather was nice, which meant none of their classmates would ask questions when they didn't show up today.

Danielle got dressed for school, then went downstairs to get some breakfast when she heard her mother moving around in the kitchen. Lynne was pouring coffee into a travel mug when she entered, and though Danielle didn't normally drink coffee herself, she felt like she needed some today if she was going to make it through school. She grabbed a mug and took the coffee pot from her mother, smiling a bit as she met Lynne's surprised gaze.

"You too, huh?" Lynne asked. She didn't look quite as worn out as she had the day before, but there were still bags under her eyes.

"One of those days," Danielle answered with a shrug.

Lynne nodded, then took a long drink of coffee. "Any more news from Bella?" she asked.

Danielle shook her head. "Not yet. I'll try calling her before I leave for school, though."

Lynne nodded, then frowned and tilted her head curiously. "Is Jasper taking you to school?" she asked.

Danielle stiffened, then realized she had no idea how she was getting to school. With both Bella and Jasper gone, she had no one to pick her up, and as far as she knew Emmett had taken Rosalie's car when he had left. Not that she wanted to drive Rosalie's car anyway – she didn't particularly feel like making Rosalie's hatred for her worsen anymore by wrecking her convertible or scratching it. She decided that the best course of action was to call Jessica and beg for a ride, which wasn't really ideal, but it was more or less her only option.

"Uh, Jasper's picking me up," she lied, thinking her mother might get suspicious if she knew Jasper wasn't around either. "He should be here soon."

Lynne nodded, then smiled gently and moved to kiss Danielle on the temple. "I'm gonna go ahead and go," she said. "I didn't bother with any of the closing duties last night so that I could get home quickly and check on Charlie. I need to go in early and get everything organized or today's gonna be a mess."

Danielle nodded in understanding. "I'll come by after school today," she said. "I'll help out a little since I didn't come in yesterday."

Lynne smiled. "Thank you, sweetie, that'd be nice." Lynne turned to locate the top to her travel mug and fixed it on. Then she went to grab her purse and her keys. "I'll see you this afternoon. Have a good day at school," she called over her shoulder as she went.

"Bye," Danielle called back.

Once Lynne was gone, Danielle grabbed her coffee and a breakfast bar and went back upstairs. She made quick work of eating the bar, washing it down with the strong, bitter coffee. Then she grabbed her cell phone and called Jasper.

"Morning, darlin'," Jasper greeted.

"Hey. Finally in Phoenix?" she asked, moving to the window and pushing the curtains open even wider so that she could get as much warmth as possible into her room.

"Yes. We arrived late last night," Jasper confirmed. "Bella is resting, and Alice is doing her best to keep tabs on James' movements. As of right now, he's still following the trail the others laid out."

"That's good," she said. She didn't bother asking about Victoria's whereabouts – she assumed that wherever James was, Victoria was likely there, too. "You'll be happy to hear that it's a very bright and sunny day here today," she informed him as she sat on the window sill. "Thanks to your habit of skipping school on pretty days, nobody should suspect anything when y'all don't show up today."

"That _is_ fortunate indeed," Jasper agreed.

"See? Things are starting to look up already," Danielle said with a smile. "Though I do have a _small_ problem in regards to how I'm getting to school today considering both my rides are in Phoenix at the moment."

Jasper clicked his tongue in disapproval. "I did not even think about that. I should have left you one of our cars to drive to school."

"And how, exactly, would I have explained my sudden possession of a Cullen vehicle to my mother?" Danielle countered pointedly.

"True," Jasper admitted. "That would have roused some suspicion."

"Just a bit, yeah," Danielle agreed. "Don't worry," she continued. "I'm gonna call Jess as soon as we hang up and bribe her into picking me up."

"Good idea," Jasper said. "I don't want you walking all the way to school. It isn't safe."

"James and Victoria are miles away from here, Jazz," she reminded him. "I'm in the clear. Besides, if they were coming for me for some reason, Alice would have seen it, right?"

"Yes," Jasper said a bit reluctantly. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried."

"I know, but like I've said a dozen times, everything's totally fine here. Okay?" Danielle patiently reminded him.

"Okay," Jasper said back.

Danielle glanced at the clock, then turned to start packing up her school things. "I should go. I need to call Jess now before she can get to school, otherwise I _will_ end up walking," she said. "I'll call you during lunch, okay?"

"Looking forward to it," Jasper said. "Have a good day. I love you, Danielle."

"I love you, too."

Danielle ended the call after that, then set the phone down to finish packing her backpack. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she glanced outside again, taking the bright sunshine as a sign of good things to come. Jasper, Alice, and Bella were officially safe in Phoenix, and James and Victoria were getting further away by the moment. If everything kept going their way, the nomads would be finished soon and she would be reunited with Jasper and Bella before she knew it. And she could hardly _wait_ to see Jasper again – whenever he finally came home, the first thing she was going to do was hug and kiss him senseless.

Danielle zipped up her backpack once she had finished packing it, then reached for her phone to call Jessica. Just as she flipped the phone open, however, a strong, undeniable feeling of being watched suddenly crashed into her, making her freeze and her muscles go tense. She couldn't possible explain how, but suddenly she just _knew_ – she was not as alone in her bedroom as she had thought she was.

Slowly, Danielle turned toward her bathroom. And what she saw when she did so made the air in her lungs freeze and had a shiver of fear shooting down her spine.

Victoria was there. She was leaning casually against the doorframe, dressed in the same clothes she had worn in the field, her bright red eyes locked on her and a smirk of pure evil stretched across her lips.

"Hello, Danielle," she greeted, the sound of her voice making fear shoot through her veins again. "Or do you prefer Dani?"

Danielle gulped, then glanced toward the door. She knew she would never be able to outrun a vampire, but the instinct to flee and at least _try_ to get away was too strong to ignore. In a split-second decision, Danielle made a rush for the door, hoping to at least get out in public where people could see her and help her. She barely made it a step, however, before Victoria had a hand around her neck and was slamming her back against the wall next to her window, effectively keeping her from going anywhere.

"Now, now. Don't be stupid, little girl," Victoria hissed, her eyes flashing.

The ice cold hand she had locked around Danielle's neck wasn't gripping her hard enough to suffocate, but it _was_ tight enough to make breathing harder than normal. Danielle reached up, trying to pry at the fingers around her throat, but it was no use. Victoria was far too strong. Victoria sneered at her attempt to free herself and shook her head, everything on her face betraying exactly how pathetic she seemed to think Danielle was.

"Look at you. So weak. So _vulnerable_. Just like your little friend Bella," she hissed, red eyes unblinking and full of malice.

Victoria stared at her for a moment, then released Danielle with a sound of disgust. Danielle immediately held her neck, sucking in air greedily now that her airways were unhindered. She watched as Victoria turned and walked around a bit, her eyes taking in her surroundings. Suddenly, she was flooded with confusion – why was Victoria here? How had Alice not seen the nomad coming for her? Also, what exactly did Victoria know? Did she know that Danielle had been there on the field that night, or had she and James simply figured out the trail they were following was fake and caused Victoria to come to try to interrogate her for information?

"What do you want?" Danielle asked, her voice shaking with fear.

Victoria turned and gave her a wicked smile. Instead of answering, however, she ignored the question and began to speak.

"That night on the field, I just _knew_ another human had been there," she said, which made Danielle's heart seize with fear. Victoria _did_ know she had been there. She _did_ know that she was linked to the Cullen's. "I could smell it. I could smell _you_. Only…I didn't know it was _you_. Because your scent that night…it was confusing. I could smell you while Laurent and Carlisle were talking, and I didn't know what to make of you. Not quite human. Not quite vampire. I tried to see your eyes, tried to look for anything that would tell me what you were. But you were skillful in hiding the truth. You acted like one of them. You tricked us all."

Victoria moved to Danielle's dresser and picked up a picture frame that contained a photograph of Danielle and Tom from the year before. She gazed at the photo for a moment, then set it down and moved to inspect the next photo, which was of Danielle and her mother. "After we left, I could not stop thinking about that scent I smelled in the field," she continued without looking at Danielle. "My confusion and curiosity was driving me to madness. Eventually, I could resist no longer. While James went off to begin his hunt for Bella, I began my hunt for something else. The truth about who that scent belonged to," she said. "I went back to the field to find your scent. The _human_ scent. Then I followed it everywhere that it went. The Cullen house. The high school. A bookshop in town. Until, eventually, it brought me back here."

Victoria turned around to face her now. "There truly was a part of me that believed you might be a vampire. Or, at the very least, some sort of hybrid creature unlike anything I had ever met before. But then I saw you speaking with Bella's father," she continued, slowing moving closer to Danielle one step at a time. Once they were standing less than a foot apart, Victoria reached up to touch Danielle's cheek. Danielle couldn't help but flinch as her ice cold fingers caressed her cheekbone. "I saw your lovely blue eyes and smelled that delicious scent that I had been following all over town. And I knew. You were nothing special at all. Just a silly little human pretending to be something she wasn't to trick the bad, scary vampires," she said with a smirk. "Another _pet_ for those pathetic little Cullen's."

Danielle's vision began to blur a little as tears started to fill her eyes. She could not stop herself from trembling, her heart beating erratically as her mind raced with all the things that Victoria might do. "What do you want?" she asked for the second time, her voice coming out stronger than she felt.

"There are a number of things I want from you, Danielle," Victoria answered. "And you'll do well to cooperate if you want to live to see your precious Jasper again."

Danielle whimpered, even though she tried not to. She wasn't sure what frightened her more – the thought of Victoria killing her, or the thought of Victoria using her to get to Bella and the Cullen's. She certainly didn't want to die, but how would she ever live with herself if something happened to Bella, Jasper, or any of the Cullen's because of her? "I won't do _anything_ to help you," she heard herself spit out before she could stop herself.

Victoria smirked even wider, as if overjoyed with her response. "I thought you might say that."

Suddenly Victoria had her spun around and had her arm twisted at a horribly painful angle. Danielle cried out, her eyes slammed closed as she fought through the pain. Any moment now her arm would break. She just knew it. "Agree to cooperate, or I'll break your arm off, little girl," Victoria hissed in her ear, twisted her arm even more. "And that'll be just the _start_ of our fun," she threatened.

Danielle cried out again, then, unable to stand the pain any longer, she caved. "Okay! Okay!" she agreed. "I'll cooperate."

"Good choice." Victoria released her, and almost immediately Danielle crumbled to the floor. She sat there cradling her arm while Victoria went to the desk. She watched as the vampire retrieved a piece of paper and a pen, before turning expectant eyes on her. "First, you will write a note to your mother explaining that you received a very disconcerting phone call from Bella before school and that you've gone to Phoenix to help her. Make it believable, too," Victoria instructed.

Danielle hesitated, then dragged herself up off the floor and went to the desk. She took the pen that Victoria offered, then leaned over the desk to write the note as Victoria had instructed, sniffling to herself as tears slid down her cheeks.

 _Mom,  
Bella called me. She isn't doing well. She sounded like she was in a really bad place. I'm sorry, but I can't sit by and do nothing anymore. I have to help her. I called Jasper, and he's agreed to go with me to meet with Bella and make sure that she's alright. I should be back in a few days. Don't worry, Dr. Cullen is going to come with us as well, so we'll have supervision. I love you. Please forgive me for this.  
\- Danielle._

As soon as she was finished writing, Victoria snatched the note up from the desk and took a moment to read it over. When she was done reading, she nodded in approval. "Very good," Victoria said, smirking as she handed the note back to Danielle. "Now that that's finished, you're going to pack a bag. And keep it light. You won't be needing much," she ordered.

Danielle gulped, then turned to do as she had been told. While she packed clothes to get her through a few days, her mind raced a million miles a minute. How had this happened? How could Alice have not seen this? And where was Victoria going to take her? Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, she knew. If Victoria was taking her away, she was likely taking her to James. And once James knew what was going on, once he knew who she was and what they would be able to use her for, the next logical place would be Phoenix. She found herself thinking about James and about Phoenix extra hard, hoping beyond hope that somehow Alice would see it and know that things had changed. She was scared it wouldn't do any good, though – Jasper had said Alice's visions weren't exact, and if she hadn't been able to see Victoria coming for her, how would she be able to see Danielle leaving Forks?

After she was packed, Victoria made her grab her phone and take the note she had written for her mother downstairs, where it would be easy to find. Without further ado, Victoria led her out of her house and around the corner, where a beat up car was waiting. Victoria all but forced her into the passenger seat, before moving around to the driver's seat and settling behind the wheel. As she started the engine with a loud roar, Danielle gave her a wary look.

"Where are we going?" she had to ask.

Victoria looked at her and smirked wickedly. "To James, of course," she said, before putting the car in drive and tearing off down the road.

* * *

It took them twenty tense, awful minutes to get to where they were going. It was in front of some old, unoccupied looking warehouse that Victoria finally brought the car to a halt. Danielle peered up at the warehouse, her heart racing and her stomach twisting with fear, knowing that things were only going to get worse once they were inside. Suddenly Victoria was yanking the passenger side door open and hauling her out of the car, leaving Danielle with no choice but to go with Victoria into the warehouse.

It was dimly lit and musty with neglect inside. Victoria led her past dusty work stations that obviously hadn't seen use in quite some time, past abandoned boxes filled with only God knew what, all the way to the back of the warehouse. There was an uncovered window toward the back that allowed a bright beam of light to shine inside. Standing before that window, his skin sparkling in the sun and making glittering light reflecting off the walls around him, was James.

He turned at their approach, one brow quirking upward as he looked Danielle up and down. The fear within grew to impossible heights, which had her digging her heels into the ground in an attempt to stop Victoria from dragging her any closer to him. It didn't work. Victoria continued to force her along with ease, until she finally gave Danielle one last massive shove, which made her stumbling to a halt only feet away from James.

"This is her?" James asked, his hands clasped together behind his back.

Victoria nodded in confirmation. "This is the one I told you about. The _other_ Cullen pet."

James smiled and moved closer to Victoria so that he could caress her cheek. "You did very well, my love," he said, which made Victoria beam with pride.

Danielle stood there, completely frozen with fear. James lowered his hand away from Victoria's cheek and turned back to Danielle, smirking as he closed the distance between them. He stopped less than a foot away, his eyes staring intently into her own, before he leaned in even closer and inhaled deeply. His eyes closed for a moment, and when they reopened, they were darker than they had been before. Danielle had seen that darkness before, and knew what it meant. He was _hungry_. Hungry for her blood.

"It's a wonder I missed your scent, human," he mused aloud. "You do not smell _quite_ as delectable as your friend, but you would certainly still make for a very tasty meal."

Danielle said nothing, just fought against the strong urge to cry as James walked a slow circle around her. When he was in front of her again, he tilted his head curiously. "As I understand it, two of the Cullen's have taken Bella to Phoenix, yes?" James asked.

Danielle pressed her lips together tightly, too afraid to say anything. "They have," Victoria confirmed. "I overheard her talking about it with her vampire lover on the phone."

James held a hand up to silence Victoria, but his eyes didn't stray away from Danielle's face. Once Victoria was quiet again, James clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Come now, human," he said, the words coming out more as a hiss. His expression was beginning to change. The curiosity was starting to turn into impatience, his eyes beginning to gleam with a threat of danger that made her blood run cold. "There is no need to make things difficult for yourself. It's a simple yes or no question." When she _still_ didn't answer, he grabbed her chin roughly, making her whimper with fear. "You do realize I could crush your jaw with a mere flick of my fingers right now?" Danielle trembled fiercely as he flashed a malicious smirk. "I could, but I won't. You humans have provided me with way too good of a sport to ruin it all right now."

With that said he withdrew his hand, only to rear back and backhand her across the face. Danielle fell to the ground, pain flaring up in her cheek, one hand flying up to cover the abused area. She looked up at James with fear as he hovered over her, knowing he could have done a lot worse if he really wanted to. Knowing he _would_ do a lot worse if she continued to be uncooperative.

"How about we try a different approach?" James asked, leaning over so that his eyes were level with hers. "You _will_ tell me what I want to know, or I will gather up an army to slowly and surely destroy everyone you hold dear. Your little friend Bella will be the first to go, then your precious Cullen's, your family…and last, but _certainly_ not least, your lover. What was his name again?"

"Jasper," Victoria answered.

Danielle suddenly glared at him, feeling a surge of anger at his threats against Jasper. "He has _nothing_ to do with this! He has nothing to do with your sick games!" she growled.

"He took Bella way from me," James reminded her. "He has _everything_ to do with this. And he will die a very slow, very _painful_ death if you do not start telling me what I want to know."

Danielle glared up at him a moment longer, then looked away, shaking her head viciously. She sniffled loudly and wiped away her tears, feelings conflicted and confused. She didn't want to tell James anything, but what if he was telling the truth? Was he really capable of building an army to go after the Cullen's, to go after her mother and Bella? And if he _was_ , could she really gamble with the lives of the people she loved most?

She decided she couldn't risk it. Maybe if she led James to Phoenix, she could somehow warn Jasper and Alice. Maybe the Cullen's could still take care of him and Victoria. It wasn't what she wanted to do, it felt downright _wrong_ , but it sounded a hell of a lot better than a damned _army_ coming for them.

"Yes," she finally said. "They're in Phoenix."

James grinned with satisfaction. "That's all I needed to know. Was that so difficult?" he asked in what could almost be considered a _friendly_ tone. Danielle heard Victoria start snickering to herself. "Well, then. It looks like you and I have a plane to catch, don't we?" he asked. "We can't risk driving. The others might catch up to us, and then that would spoil the fun." James turned to Victoria and raised his brows. "You've purchased the tickets?"

Victoria nodded. "You only need to pick them up at the airport," she said. She then looked to Danielle, one brows raising. "Before you go, though, I overheard her say something that sounded interesting," she continued, eyes narrowed. "The one named Alice. You said she _sees_ things?" she asked.

As James' brows rose with interest, Danielle's stomach twisted again as she remembered mentioning Alice's visions while on the phone with Jasper. _Damnit_. Why couldn't she have just kept her big mouth shut?

When she took too long to answer, James raised his eyes to the ceiling with impatience. "We've gone through this already, haven't we?" he asked in pure annoyance. Suddenly he had a hand locked around her wrist, which he began to twist painfully. "Answer the question or suffer the consequences."

Danielle cried out with pain again. "Alice has visions of the future!" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

James shared a look with Victoria, his hand still locked around her wrist. "Does she now?" he said with interest. "So she'll know we're coming to Phoenix?" he asked next.

Danielle nodded. "If she doesn't yet. She will. Her visions change based on your decisions, and she's been keeping a close eye on you."

James stared at her a moment longer, then released her. "Well, then we'll have to be very careful about what we think of, won't we?" he asked.

Danielle just whimpered in answer, cradling her wrist to her chest protectively.

James stepped back away from her and turned to Victoria. "We need to leave now while the Cullen's are still unaware of our plans," he said. "I'd like you to stay here and monitor the others until I return. Notify me if anything of interest happens."

After Victoria nodded in agreement, James locked a hand around the back of Victoria's neck and gave her a long, passionate kiss. Danielle turned her eyes elsewhere, tears sliding down her cheeks. It was not the pain in her wrist making her cry, however. No. It was the cold, hard fact that she had just sold Jasper, Alice, and Bella out to James and Victoria, had told the nomads things that she never should have. The Cullen's had been so good to her, had done so much to help her and protect her, and how had she repaid them? By betraying them. They had trusted her, and she had let them down.

She was jerked back to reality as James grabbed her by the arm and yanked her up, pulling her along with him until they were outside and getting back into the same car Victoria had driven. All too soon they were on the road, heading in the direction of the airport. And all Danielle could do was cry, unable to handle the feelings of fear, guilt, and self-loathing that were consuming her.

* * *

 **Oh lord. Here we go, guys!**


	18. Chapter Seventeen

**As always, thank you to everyone for your support and your reviews! We're rapidly approaching the end of the first part, but it's only the beginning of our adventure! Hope you guys enjoy this next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I am in no way affiliated with Twilight, and I own nothing. My only claim is on the OC's!**

* * *

 _Chapter Seventeen_

Considering how tight airport security had gotten over the years, it seemed _exceedingly_ easy for them to get onto the nine-twenty flight to Phoenix.

When they arrived at the airport, they headed straight to the check-in counter to pick up their boarding passes. The lady working the counter had looked mildly alarmed at the sight of James' red eyes, but had, for the most part, taken his appearance in stride – Danielle assumed she was used to seeing all _sorts_ of eccentric looking people coming and going through the airport and had just thought James was wearing contacts or something. After they had their passes – somehow Victoria had gotten the necessary information to book a flight under Danielle's name – they went to security, where James surprised her by flashing an identification card that she had not known he had been in possession of. Once they had gotten through security they went to their gate, where they waited for about twenty five very uncomfortable minutes before they were called to board. Nobody looked twice in their direction the whole time, nobody seemed to think anything of the wild looking James and his scared, teenaged traveling companion, and before Danielle knew it, they were on the plane waiting to take off for Arizona.

She and James were in the very back of the plane. As they waited to depart, Danielle peered helplessly through the window she sat next to, barely paying attention to the rest of the passengers on they plane as they got situated and shoved things into overhead compartments. James sat next to her, looking perfectly calm and comfortable, a smirk seemingly permanently etched onto his face. The seat on his other side was unoccupied, though whether that had been planned by Victoria when she had booked the flight or was purely coincidence, Danielle didn't know.

At this point, she truly had no idea what to do. She didn't want James to take her to Phoenix, where he undoubtedly planned to use her to get to Jasper, Alice, and Bella. She wanted to try to find a way out of this, wanted to try to grab someone's attention and alert them of the situation at hand. But a cynical voice in her head kept reminding her that it probably wouldn't do her any good. James was a _vampire_ , for crying out loud. There was nothing she, or _anyone_ , could do to stop him from taking her wherever he wanted to. If Danielle tried to involve anyone else, they would probably just end up getting hurt, or _worse_ , and getting innocent people hurt was the last thing she wanted. No, the only people who could help her now were the Cullen's, and as far as she knew, none of them were even aware of the fact that James had her as his hostage, let alone that they were en route to Phoenix.

Suddenly her phone began to ring, which made both her and James look at the bag she had brought with her. They then looked at each other, before James nodded toward her bag.

"See who it is," he instructed.

Danielle hesitated, then leaned down to retrieve her phone from her bag. Once it was in hand, her heart clenched when she saw that the incoming call was from her mother. She found herself thinking back to when Bella and Tyler had been in the hospital and she had skipped class to wait in the emergency room for news on their condition – the school had called to notify her mother that she had not made it to class. Looking at the time, she saw that she had missed two classes by now. Undoubtedly, the school had called Lynne again to inform her that Danielle had not made it to school that day.

"Mom, huh?" James asked, reading the name on the ID as the phone continued to ring.

"She probably knows I didn't make it to school," Danielle said quietly, staring at the phone intently and wishing with a her might that she could just tell her mother what was going on. Then maybe she could find a way to get ahold of Carlisle and tell him what had happened.

"I would advise against answering," James said. "We wouldn't want her notifying the Cullen's of our little adventure," he added, as if he could read her mind and had known what she had been thinking.

Danielle pressed her lips together tightly, her heart sinking when the phone finally stopped ringing. "I don't know what makes you think they _won't_ find out," she said, shooting him a hateful glare. "They aren't stupid. They'll figure it out pretty quick once they fall out of contact with me."

"Who said they're going to fall out of contact?" James asked with a quirked brow. "You'll still communicate with your precious Jasper and his silly little _family_ ," he said. "You'll just be doing so under _my_ terms. Now, send a message to your lover telling him you'll be unreachable for the next few hours so that he does not start to get suspicious should he call and be unable to reach you," James instructed.

Danielle hesitated to do as he had said. When she took too long to start typing out the text, James bared his teeth and leaned closer, one hand finding her knee and squeezing. Danielle resisted the urge to whimper as he slowly tightened his grip to the point of pain.

"Do _not_ force me to make a scene," he warned.

Danielle finally nodded and started typing a text to Jasper. She said that she needed to work with a classmate on a project she had forgotten about during lunch and would likely not be able to call until after school. After James read the message and gave his approval, she sent it off, which prompted James to finally release his painful grip on her knee. She hoped Jasper would see through the lie, but when his reply message came through, he simply told her he understood and that he would speak to her later.

James smirked with satisfaction as he read the message, then extended his hand to her, motioning quite clearly for her to give him the phone. Danielle reluctantly passed the phone over and watched as he turned it off and shoved it into the pocket of his jacket. It was around that time that she noticed a middle aged woman sitting across the aisle. She was watching them with furrowed brows. Danielle thought there was concern in her gaze, as if she had noticed something was off about them and was contemplating intervening. But when James looked at the woman and glared in a way that said to mind her own business, the woman quickly turned away and stopped watching them.

Danielle, feeling even more helpless now, turned back to the window, crossing her arms over his chest. As the plane finally took off and they eventually broke through the grey clouds, James told her to put down the windowshade so that he would not have the sun on him. He then asked anyone around them who had left their window open to do the same, claiming he was ill and had sensitivities to light. Some seemed reluctant to do as he had asked, but one threatening glare from him had the poor strangers caving and closing their windows. With no direct sunlight hitting him, his skin was safe from sparkling and revealing his secret to those around them. Danielle could still see a hint of glimmer coming off his skin, however, but it was probably only noticeable to her because she had seen vampires in the sun before and knew what to look for.

"So, this Jasper of yours," James said to break the silence that had been stretching between them. "Which one was he?" he asked, his tone one of intrigue. "Carlisle didn't introduce everyone by name, and as I'm sure you remember, I was a little _preoccupied_ at the time. Was he the big one, or the blonde one?"

Danielle turned a glare on him. "Does it matter?" she asked bitingly. Why was James making conversation? She didn't want to talk to him about _anything,_ let alone Jasper.

"Well, _yes_ , actually. It does," James countered. "I would imagine that once this is all done, he'll want to avenge the death of the woman he loves," he stated bluntly. "I'd like to know if I'm in for a good fight or not," he concluded with a smirk.

The fear that had been steadily burning in her belly exploded through her veins at his words. Both James _and_ Victoria had threatened to hurt her more than once, but this was the first time that it had been said aloud what they intended for her in the end. James was going to _kill_ her, simply because he saw all of this as some sick, twisted game.

A tear went rolling down her cheek, though whether she was crying out of fear or anger, she couldn't quite say. It very well may have been both. "You're _insane_ ," Danielle said as she roughly brushed the tear away.

"I wouldn't say _insane_ ," James countered nonchalantly. "I'm merely someone with a very intense hobby and a lot of time on my hands to enjoy it to the fullest," he said with an evil smile.

" _Hobby_?" Danielle echoed. "You hunt and murder _innocent people_. You're a _serial killer_ ," she hissed sharply.

"And I suppose you think Jasper and his coven are perfect angels, yes?" he retorted swiftly, keeping his voice down so that nobody could eavesdrop. "You honestly think they've never taken lives? That just because they feed on animals _now_ that they haven't hunted and fed on people just as I do?"

Danielle didn't know what to say for a moment. The Cullen's were as close to human as they could get _now_ , yes, but she knew they had not always been that way. They had led different lifestyles earlier on, had fed on humans when they had not know any other way of sustaining themselves. But then she shook her head, because she knew for a _fact_ that none of them had ever done the sort of thing that James was doing now. Some of them might have taken lives in the past, but they were not evil, nor did they kill for the fun of it like James so clearly enjoyed doing.

"They are _nothing_ like you," Danielle defended. "They're good and they _help_ people. They don't kill for fun. They never have, and they never will!"

James laughed. "I can't say I entirely believe you. Judging by the look of that blonde male, I would say _he_ certainly killed for fun at some point or another. One does not acquire scarring like _that_ without living a life full of fighting and killing," he stated matter-of-factly.

Danielle stiffened, unable to help the way her eyes widened in surprise. He was talking about Jasper, that she knew with certainty. But _scars_? What scars? She had looked at Jasper quite a lot, and she had never seen any on scars on him.

"What are you talking about?" she asked slowly.

James looked at her for a moment, then began to smile gleefully. He looked like a kid who had just been told that Christmas was coming early. "So the truth reveals itself. _He_ is your lover," he mused aloud. "He has not told you of his scars, then? It is nearly impossible for human eyes to see, though under the right lighting it can be done. For _our_ kind, however, it is no trouble at all. And your Jasper is _covered_ in battle scars. Many would consider him quite intimidating. Anyone who's survived _that_ many attacks must be a very skilled killer."

Danielle looked toward the window again, her mind reeling. She had already known that Jasper had a rough past, but to hear that he was covered in scars that she couldn't see, that he had obviously lived a very violent life before they had met, troubled her. Not because it made her afraid of him – she trusted him implicitly, and she knew very well that he did _not_ lead that sort of life now. No, it troubled her because she couldn't bear to think what he might have suffered through to have been left so heavily scarred in the aftermath.

"Does the truth bother you, Danielle?" James asked tauntingly. "It must be hard to realize the _angel_ you pledged yourself to is actually a _monster,_ " he added, his tone mocking and full of spite.

Danielle whipped her head around to glare at him with hatred. "Don't talk like you know him, because you _don't_. You aren't even a _fraction_ of the man that he is," she seethed. "The only monster in this scenario is _you_."

"If he's so _reformed_ from his old ways _,_ then why has he not changed you?" James countered. "Is he afraid? Is he worried he won't be able to stop himself from _killing_ you?" James smirked again and reached out to brush his icy fingers along her arm. "Or does he simply enjoy the warmth of your skin too much make you one of us?"

Danielle jerked her arm away so that he couldn't touch her anymore. "That's none of your damn business," she snapped, seeing no use in revealing that she and Jasper had never once discussed the possibility of her becoming a vampire.

James chuckled, then shrugged a shoulder. "I suppose it doesn't matter now whether he intended to turn you or not," he said. "He will come to regret his decision _not_ to turn you once you are dead, though." James grinned to himself in a way that proved just how insane he truly was. "It will be a very good fight indeed. I can hardly wait to see how vicious a fighter he truly is."

Danielle shook her head, ignoring the way her eyes pricked with the threat of tears at his words. "I hate you," she said with all the venom she could muster. It was the only time in her life that she had said it and truly, whole-heartedly meant it.

James just smirked. "I know you do."

* * *

They did not talk the rest of the way to Phoenix, which was perfectly fine with Danielle. They sat in tense silence, ignoring the people around them and declining any services whenever the flight attendants came by. When they finally landed, a strange feeling shot through Danielle. A large part of her was terrified to be in Phoenix, where any number of awful things could potentially take place. At the same time, she felt an undeniable thrill, perhaps even a surge of _hope_ , to know that she was so close to Jasper again. He had said they were staying at one of the hotels close to the airport – if she could somehow get ahold of him and tell him what was going on, he would be close enough to come and rescue her and put a quick end to this nightmare.

But James still had her phone, and as they shuffled off of the airplane and walked into the crowded airport, she had no idea how she would be able to get it back and tell Jasper what was going on _without_ James knowing about it, nor could she think of a way to get rid of James. Try as she might, she couldn't think of any way out of her current predicament. Not one that wouldn't end with James hurting or _killing_ her, that is.

The moment they stepped out of the plane, James took his long hair out of the ponytail it had been in so that it fanned around his shoulders and covered his neck. He then surprised her by pulling a baseball cap from the inside of his jacket and fixing it on his head, so that his face would be shielded from the sun. He shoved one hand into his pocket, then locked the other around her elbow and began to lead her through the airport, keeping his head ducked to avoid any direct sunlight. As they walked through the airport, she spotted a women's bathroom off to their right. The sight of the bathroom reminded her just how long it had been since she had used the restroom, and as her bladder protested, she screeched to a halt. James stopped, too, his eyes narrowing as he peered at her.

"I need to pee," Danielle said, pointing to the bathroom.

James looked at the bathroom, then back at her. "Make it fast," he instructed. He momentarily tightened his grip, pulling her a fraction closer. "Do _not_ do anything stupid," he warned.

Danielle nodded. When James released her, she slung the bag she had brought with her over her shoulder and headed into the bathroom. She glanced back once and was unsurprised to see that James had found a spot opposite the bathroom entrance she had walked through and was leaning casually against the wall, his eyes locked on her.

The bathroom was busy, which wasn't too surprising – every women's bathroom on the _planet_ was always full, it seemed. Danielle went into the nearest open stall and quickly went to the bathroom, taking care of business quickly and feeling loads better once she was done. When she had finished, she grabbed her bag and went to the community sink to wash her hands. It was as she was drying her hands that she glanced at her reflection, and what she saw made her frown.

There was a big bruise on her cheek from when James had hit her in the warehouse. She leaned closer to the mirror to inspect the bruise, wincing when she touched it with her fingertips and found it be tender. Danielle sighed, suddenly even more befuddled by the fact that she and James had made it so far without interference. She was obviously under duress and she had a big, ugly bruise on her face – how had _nobody_ that had been around noticed that something was very obviously wrong with the situation? Sure, the woman on the plane had looked concerned, but she hadn't done anything to actually try to _help_ her. _Nobody_ had _tried_ to help her.

Feeling disgusted and disappointed, Danielle stepped back from the mirror and grabbed her bag again. Another girl stepped up to use the sink she had just abandoned, but not before sending a text message and then setting her phone down on the counter.

Danielle paused, her eyes drawn to the phone. She glanced toward the entrance, then back at the phone. She found herself contemplating whether or not she should ask to borrow the girl's phone so that she could call Jasper and tell him what was going on while she had these few precious moments away from James. But as she wracked her brain, she could not for the life of her remember his number. She had memorized it not long after he had given it to her, but right now, in this stressful situation, she was drawing a blank. She would need her phone to call him, and that was the unfortunate way of it. Besides, if she asked for someone's phone James would be able to hear her and would know she was trying to thwart his plans. Danielle strongly suspected he wouldn't have any qualms about coming into the bathroom to get her before she could reach out to Jasper.

Danielle finally turned to leave, then froze again. It was in that moment that she realized something very important about the bathroom she was in. It was the sort of bathroom that had _two_ entrances rather than just one, with about twenty to thirty feet of space between the two entrances. An idea sprung to mind at once, which had Danielle's heart pounding in her chest.

James would be expecting her to leave through the door she had entered. If she went through the _other_ door, if she could somehow blend in with the crowd and avoid being seen, maybe she could get away. This could be it. Her one and only chance at escape.

Danielle looked down at her clothes. But she couldn't leave like this, she decided – he would recognize her clothes right off the bat. She had to disguise herself if she wanted this to work.

Danielle turned as a stall opened behind her and rushed inside, startling the woman who had just come out. She closed and locked the door behind her, took a quick, calming breath, then unzipped her bag and started rifling through it. Considering she had packed the bag under duress, she had no idea what she had actually brought along with her – she was pleased to see that she had brought one of her bulky hoodies. Danielle quickly pulled the hoodie on, then toed off her shoes and took off her pants so that she could change into a pair of jeans that were darker than the ones she currently had on. After she was finished changing, she stuffed her clothes back into the bag and slipped her shoes on, before exiting the stall.

With a pounding heart, she started toward the other entrance, but she was suddenly hit with a such a strong surge of nervousness and apprehension that she had to stop and take another moment to collect herself. If this didn't work, if James caught her, there would be hell to pay. Breathing deeply through her nose, she exhaled slowly and closed her eyes, telling herself that if she could just get away, if she could get out of this airport and into a cab, she would be able to lose James and start looking for Jasper. She would be in the clear and they would be able to make all of this right again.

Danielle opened her eyes, took one more calming breath, then put the hood of her hoodie up so that it covered her hair. Then, as a mom and two daughters walked past her chatting animatedly with one another, she moved to exit the bathroom with them in an attempt to pass herself off as a member of their family.

She had never felt so nervous in her whole life as she left the bathroom, but she didn't _dare_ look to see if James had seen her. She walked right behind the mother and her daughters, who seemed to not think anything of her presence, and kept her eyes forward, trying to appear as calm and casual as possible as they quickly blended in with the bustling crowd of people navigating their way through the busy airport. Danielle had never been over fond of crowds, but today, she thanked her lucky stars for all the people around her.

She fully expected that James would discover her at any moment, that suddenly he would just appear and end her grand escape…but she made it twenty feet, then fifty, and then she was going downstairs and turning around a corner, making her way even further through the airport…and _still,_ James did not come. Danielle finally felt brave enough to quicken her pace and started walking faster. When the doors to the outside passenger pick up area finally came into view, the relief she felt was so strong that she nearly cried. Was this really happening? Was this really _working_?

She stepped out into the much warmer climate of Phoenix, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders as she breathed in the warm, dry air. Without hesitation, she moved to flag down one of the nearby cabs waiting to pick passengers up. A cabbie pulled forward and she grinned. Just as she went to open the door however, another hand beat her to the punch. Danielle turned to look at the owner of the hand, then felt as if she had been doused with a bucket of ice water.

James was standing next to her, and he looked downright _furious_ at her for attempting to escape his clutches. "Clever," he said, flicking her hood down so that her red hair was on display again. "But not clever enough." She thought he might hurt her right there in the public eye, that he would punish her for her actions – he certainly looked angry enough to do it. He didn't, though. Instead, he motioned for her to enter the cab. "After you."

Danielle gulped, then, after she was forced to accept that her escape plan had been a complete and utter failure, she climbed into the backseat. James followed her into the backseat and settled in next to her, closing the door behind him.

"Where to?" the driver asked, glancing at them through the rearview mirror.

James pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to the cab driver. "Take us to this address."

"You got it," the driver said, before entering the address into his GPS and pulling forward.

As they drove away from the airport, James pulled her cell phone from his pocket and passed it back over to her. He had turned it back on while she had been trying to get away, and she could see that she had new voicemails to listen to, as well as an unread message from Jasper.

"Listen to your messages," James said, his eyes still filled with annoyance as be peered at her. She didn't think he'd be forgetting her escape attempt any time soon.

Danielle did as he said, quickly going into her inbox. _"You have four new messages_ ," the automated voice revealed. " _First message – Dani, why did I just get a call from the school telling me that you didn't show up? This better be a mistake, and you_ _ **better**_ _not be off gallivanting around with that boyfriend of yours! Call me when you get this_."

Danielle cringed and hit a button to listen to the next message, which was also from her mother. " _Now your phone is off? There better be a good reason for all this, Danielle, or else you are in_ _ **big trouble.**_ _"_

She moved on to the third message, feeling unsurprised when, once again, she heard her mom's voice. The tone was different now, though – instead of being angry, Lynne sounded worried. _"Okay, this has gone on for too long. I'm starting to get really concerned. I don't care if you're with Jasper or not, just call me back okay? I need to know that you're alright. If I don't hear from you in the next hour, I'm gonna start looking for you. Just…call me, Okay? I love you."_

When Lynne's fourth and final message played, however, all the concern was gone. She sounded absolutely _furious_ now. _**"You went to Phoenix**_ _?! How could you – what were you – I cant even!_ There was a pause where Lynne seemed to need to take a moment to collect herself. " _Danielle Katherine Clark, you are in the worst trouble you have ever been in! I don't care if Dr. Cullen is with you, I'm coming to Phoenix to get you. And once you're back in Forks, you are grounded for the rest of your_ _ **natural born life**_ _."_

Danielle cringed again as the messages ended. She clicked her phone shut and glanced at James, who looked highly amused by the whole thing. "She sounds quite furious. Shame she's coming all the way here for nothing," he said with a smirk.

Danielle shook her head, feeling sick to her stomach. She didn't want her mother to come to Phoenix, because she did not want to think what Lynne would find when she did. "I should call her and let her know – " she started to say.

"That won't be necessary," James interrupted, waving his hand dismissively. "What did Jasper say?" he asked next.

Danielle frowned at him for a moment, then opened Jasper's text to read it. _Things have changed. Call when you can. Don't panic, everything here is alright._ James, who had read the message over her shoulder, looked at her expectantly.

"Go on then," he said.

Danielle glanced at the cab driver, who was singing along with the radio and hardly paying attention to them, before dialing out Jasper's number and calling him. He answered on the second ring.

"Danielle? Is everything alright?" he asked, sounding worried.

Her heart lurched in her chest. Did Jasper know something was off? Was he suspicious of how much time had passed since they had last spoken? If he _did_ know something was wrong, would she be able to tip him off without alerting James? She cleared her throat and looked at James, who was watching her closely.

"I'm fine," she lied. "Is everything okay with _you_?"

"Yes," Jasper said, though she could still hear uncertainty in his tone. "I tried calling earlier, but your phone was off. Why?"

Danielle glanced at James, who quirked a brow in a way that said she better not give anything away. "It died during History. I forgot to charge it last night," she lied. "I had to borrow Angela's charger during lunch. I only just now turned it back on."

"Oh, alright," Jasper said in response sounding much more at ease now. He had believed the lie.

"So what's going on?" Danielle asked.

"It's James and Victoria," Jasper said. "They've realized the trail they were following was leading them into a trap and _not_ to Bella. Alice saw them getting on a plane, but she isn't sure where they are going yet. They keep changing their minds," he explained with a barely detectable note of frustration.

"That isn't good," Danielle said, glancing at James again. He had clearly been using his knowledge of Alice's powers to keep the Cullen's from discovering where he was going, and whom he was going with. "What are y'allgonna do now?"

"We plan to stay put for now. The others are on their way back to Forks as we speak, just in case the nomads are going back there," Jasper revealed. "Emmett will be coming back to your house to stand guard until we know where they've gone. He will be there by the time you and your mother come home."

Danielle felt her heart suddenly fill with hope. If Emmett went back to her house, he would discover that she was missing and that she had gone to Phoenix. He would be able to tell Jasper what had happened and they would be able to figure out how to rescue her from James.

She prayed he got there soon, before anything had the chance to go wrong.

Jasper sighed in her ear. "As soon as this is over, as soon as Bella is safe, I'm getting on the first plane back to Forks and coming back to you, Danielle," he said seriously. "I cannot _stand_ being separated from you like this."

Danielle felt her throat tighten at his words. "I hate it, too. I wish…I wish you were here now." And it was the absolute truth – she would have given anything to have Jasper with her, to have him around to protect her from the monster sitting next to her.

"Me too," Jasper sighed. "But hopefully – " Suddenly Jasper stopped talking for a moment, as if something had captured his attention. "Alice? Alice, what is it?" she heard him ask.

Danielle frowned and glanced over at James, who was smiling to himself with satisfaction. "Jasper? What's going on?" she asked in an attempt to catch her boyfriend's attention.

He didn't answer for a long few moments, but when he did, he sounded uneasy. "Alice has had another vision. She knows where James and Victoria are going. They're coming _here_ , to Phoenix," he said, which made her glance at James again. That self-satisfied smile hadn't budged an inch. "I need to let you go, Danielle. I need to call Edward and tell him what is going on."

"Alright," she said with reluctance. She really, _really_ did _not_ want to hang up the phone.

"I'll call you once we have a plan set," Jasper promised. "I love you, Danielle."

"I love you, too."

The line went dead after that, so Danielle pulled it away from her ear and clicked it shut. "What was _that_ about?" she asked, turning accusing eyes on James.

"I couldn't have your little Cullen friend going to your house and discovering what exactly has been going on," James said, plucking her cell phone from her hand and shoving it back into his pocket. "So I used Alice's _gifts_ to my advantage and made sure to throw them off the scent. Now that they know I'm in Phoenix, they will not have any reason to return to Forks. Our little adventure will remain our secret for a little while long," he finished, sounding quite proud of himself.

Any hope she had felt about Emmett learning the truth instantly evaporated. Feeling completely helpless again, Danielle merely frowned at James for a moment, before deciding she no longer wanted to talk to him and turning her eyes to the window.

After a while, the cab turned into a nice looking neighborhood. Danielle took in the desert landscapes as they wound their way along the neighborhood streets, until they finally came to a halt in front of a two story house. James paid the cabbie for their ride, then stepped out of the car, ushering Danielle to do the same. Once they were standing in the driveway, the cab driver pulled away and drove off without a second glance in their direction. James grabbed her by the arm, glanced around at the surrounding houses, then led her to the front door.

He searched around for a key first, looking under the doormat and searching through some nearby potted plants. When he found nothing, he instead just grabbed the door knob and forced the door open with hardly any effort at all. He then reached back and pulled her inside the darkened house, closing the door behind them. James grinned down at her wickedly, his eyes alight with excitement.

"Welcome to the house of Renee and Bella Swan," he said, before pushing her further into the house.

Danielle glanced around in alarm, mostly because she was suddenly and _completely_ terrified that Bella's mom might be nearby. This was, after all, _her_ house. But the house was quiet and there didn't seem to be any lights on anywhere, which led her to believe that Renee was gone. She recalled Bella telling her that her stepfather was a minor league baseball player – with any luck, Bella's stepdad had an away game and Renee had gone travelling with him, where she would be well away from the reach of James.

"I'm going to have a look around," James announced.

He directed her toward the couch, then shoved her down so that she was sitting right on the middle. James started to turn his back on her to begin his search, but then seemed to think twice about it. Instead, he turned back around to Danielle, an evil smirk beginning to creep onto his lips. She gulped nervously. She didn't know what that look meant, but whatever it was, it certainly wasn't anything _good._

"You know something, Danielle? After the stunt you pulled in the airport, I don't think I trust that you will stay put," he said, slowly stalking closer. "I think you will try to run again the moment I leave the room."

Danielle shrunk into the couch cushions as he loomed over her. "I won't run," she said, shaking her head. "It won't do me any good. We _both_ know that. You'll just catch me again."

James nodded slowly, then shrugged. "Yes, well…better to be safe than sorry, yes?"

And then, suddenly, he was right in her personal space, one freezing cold hand clamping over her mouth as the other reached down to lock around her ankle. She barely thought to try to fight back when the hand on her ankle tightened and gave a violent twist. All Danielle heard was a sickening _CRACK_ , then pain unlike she had felt before crashed through her as she screamed into James' hand.

* * *

Nearly an hour later, Danielle _still_ had not moved from the couch. She _couldn't_ move. Her ankle was broken, and it hurt so badly that the pain was almost nauseating.

Breathing deeply through her nose, she chanced a look downward. Though her shoes and her jeans hid her ankle from sight, the angle at which her foot was turned let her know that the damage was _bad_ and that she likely wouldn't be walking anywhere any time soon. She closed her eyes as her stomach turned, grimacing and whimpering with pain uncontrollably, sweat sliding along her temples and down the back of her neck. Admittedly, she had never had much of a pain threshold, nor had she ever suffered anything worse than a broken toe. The pain she felt _now_ was _excruciating._

"You are _really_ beginning to annoy me," James heaved out. "Can you not _shut up_?"

She pried her eyes open to glare at him. James had, more or less, been ignoring her after breaking her ankle. He had searched the house top to bottom, then had eventually settled in to start watching some of the home videos that Bella's mother's had kept stored in the cabinet next to the television. He was completely focused on them, his intrigue palpable. In fact, the more he was able to see of Bella's life growing up, the more interested and _hungrier_ he had started to look.

"My ankle's broken, you _asshole_ ," she spat out.

"Really? I had no idea," James shot back sarcastically.

Danielle said nothing, just leaned her head against the back of the couch, taking another steadying breath.

"You brought this on yourself, you know," James said, his eyes still trained intently on the video he was watching. It appeared to be a video of a birthday party that Renee had thrown for Bella when she had been maybe five or six years old. "If you hadn't tried to run away, I wouldn't have felt the need to incapacitate you."

Danielle lifted her head and swung hate filled eyes in James direction. "If you hadn't _kidnapped_ me I wouldn't have had to run in the first place!" she said loudly.

"And if your lover hadn't stolen _my_ prize, I would never have felt the need to kidnap you," he countered without missing a beat. "Well… _probably_ not, anyway," he corrected.

Danielle scoffed in disbelief. "You act as if we _asked_ for this to happen, which we _didn't_. We were all _perfectly fine_ before you and your psycho girlfriend decided to come in and ruin everything. Why couldn't you just leave us alone? Why couldn't you have just _left_?"

James turned around to face her, a smirk dancing on his lips. "Because where would the fun be in _that_?" he asked.

Danielle gaped at him, anger swirling through her veins. "This isn't a _game_ , you sick son of a bitch! These are _lives_ you're destroying!"

Suddenly James was in front of her, crouching low so that his face was only inches from hers. Danielle jerked back, a gasp of surprise tearing past her lips. "Human lives are _disposable,"_ he growled. "You are nothing. A mere _blip_ on the radar. A fragile, pathetic creature who will be forgotten once enough time has passed."

"You're wrong. The people I love won't forget me. _Jasper_ won't forget me," Danielle said with confidence. "Jasper _loves_ me."

"If your Jasper truly loved you, he would have _turned_ you," James rebutted. "He would not have put you in danger by keeping you as his little human pet." He paused and cocked his head to the side. "Jasper made a grave mistake by not turning you. So has Edward. By killing you and Bella, I shall teach them, and _all_ the Cullen's, a lesson they shall never forget."

Danielle glared at him, unsure which emotion she felt stronger – fear, or fury. "Why bring me here, then?" she demanded. "Why drag me all the way to Phoenix when you could have just killed me in Forks and been done with it?"

"You're right. I _could_ have killed you in Forks," James agreed. "But if Bella is going to get away from her bodyguards, she will need a very good reason for doing so. When she realizes that I have you, she _will_ come for you. Once I have you both exactly where I want you, _then_ I will kill you." James smirked as he reached up to brush away a red curl that had fallen over her face. Danielle instantly recoiled away from his touch. "Besides, it will be so much _sweeter_ to kill you here, so close to where Jasper has been hiding away. He will learn of your presence here in Phoenix precisely when I want him too, and when he realizes I have you, he will undoubtedly come for you. But it will be too late. And it will be incredibly rewarding to see the look on his face when he faces the truth – that he failed you, the woman he loves. That he was too foolish and too _slow_ to save you. He will die knowing that your death was _his_ fault."

Danielle wasn't sure when she had begun to cry, but she could feel the tears streaming freely down her cheeks. James was determined to kill her, there was no doubt about that. But as terrified as she was of the thought of dying in whatever horrible way James had planned, it scared her _so much more_ to think about what might happen to Jasper in the aftermath. He would be destroyed. He would be reckless. He would want to avenge her death. And if James was as half as fierce as Laurent and the Cullen's had said, it was very possible he could get killed. It was a thought that had her feeling like she would both vomit and die of heartbreak all at the same time.

"They'll kill you," she still growled out, glaring daggers at him with her eyes. "You can't take them all on. They'll rip you to _shreds_."

"That, little girl, is a challenge I am more than ready to face," James said confidently, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Let them come. I will kill them all one by one. And I shall enjoy _every single moment_ of it."

There was a tense silence after that where the two of them merely stared at one another. The silence was eventually shattered, however, by the ringing of her cell phone.

James straightened up and pulled her phone from his pocket. This was not the first time the phone had rung – her mother had attempted to call about a half hour ago, only he hadn't allowed her to answer it. Now, however, he extended the phone to her. She could see Jasper's name on the ID.

"Pull yourself together and answer it," James commanded.

Danielle reached for the phone hesitantly, taking a calming breath or two and wiping at her now runny nose. When she felt composed enough to talk, she flipped the phone open and pressed it to her ear. "Hi," she said. She cringed when her voice came out shakier than she had intended.

"Danielle? What's wrong?" Jasper asked with concern, picking up on the waver in her voice immediately.

Danielle glanced at James, who narrowed his eyes at her in warning, and then cleared her throat. "Nothing, nothing. I'm fine. I just…started thinking about everything that's going on and it all got a little overwhelming. My emotions got the better of me, that's all," she lied.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Jasper asked with skepticism. "You sound very upset."

"Yes, Jazz, I'm fine," Danielle insisted.

There was hesitation on his side of things. "Alright, if you say so," he finally said, though she didn't think he sounded entirely convinced. "We finally have a plan set," he said, getting right down to business. "Edward, Carlisle, and Emmett are at the airport now. They were able to get seats on a flight to Phoenix, but they won't arrive until eleven o'clock tonight. Alice and I are going to take Bella to the airport and meet them there when they arrive, then Edward and Bella are going to get on a plane and get as far away from here as possible while the rest of us hunt down the nomads and end this." Jasper paused. "When that is done, I'm coming straight back to you. I swear it."

Danielle nodded slowly. "Alright," she said. She hesitated for a moment. "Jasper, I – " she started to say, knowing it would be a mistake to try to warn him of anything in front of James but feeling like she had to do _something_.

James moving made her stop short. He had stepped closer, and his foot was hovering over her already broken ankle. He shook his index finger warningly, silently conveying that he had no problem stepping on her already injured ankle if she tried to pull anything. Danielle gulped and lost her nerve.

"What is it, darlin'?" Jasper prompted.

"I just…want you to be safe," she said, her eyes locked on James. "Be careful, okay?"

"I will be," he promised. "I should go. There's a lot to do before the others get here."

"Alright," Danielle said. "I'll talk to you soon."

"You will. Bye, darlin'."

"Bye."

She ended the call, then glanced up at James. "Wise choice," he said, snatching the phone from her again. "Now, seeing as we have _company_ coming, I think I need to go out and do a little scouting of the neighborhood," he said. "I need to find the perfect place for our little _gathering_ tonight."

With that being said, James went to click off the television before turning back to her. Without even the faintest trace of gentleness, he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her off the couch. As she fell to the floor, her legs swung around and her injured ankle hit the coffee table. Danielle cried out, her eyes ramming shut as red hot pain flared through her leg. James ignored her, uncaring of the fact that she was in pain, and dragged her toward a hall in the closet. He opened it, then flung her inside. Danielle hit the wall, whimpering as the pain continued to throb in her ankle. James merely smirked down at her unmercifully.

"Why don't you stay here and think of something good to say to Jasper whenever the time comes to say goodbye," he suggested nastily. "I'll return shortly."

With that he slammed the door shut, leaving her in the darkness of the closet. There was a thump against the door and a scraping sound, then there was nothing but silence. Danielle waited until she heard the front door open and close again before reaching for the handle – she turned the knob, but it wouldn't open. James had locked her in.

* * *

Danielle sat in the darkness of the closet with her back against the wall. Though she had made a few vain attempts to get out of the closet, none of them had resulted in anything more than her just hurting herself further whenever she put too much pressure on her ankle. So she had finally given up and resigned herself to the fact that she wouldn't be getting out until James finally came and released her from her makeshift jail cell.

Left alone with nothing but her thoughts for company, she found herself thinking about many different things. She supposed, in a way, that it was similar to one seeing their life flash before their eyes just before they died.

Danielle remembered being in pre-school and seeing a clown that had scared her so badly that she had cried in the corner for over an hour. She thought about the time when she had been seven and her mother had taken her to the amusement park in San Antonio. Danielle had gotten distracted by a vendor selling colorful balloons and had run away from her mother without giving it a second thought, which had resulted in her getting lost and her mother nearly having a heart attack. She remembered trips to her grandparents house before they had passed away, slumber parties with friends, Christmases with her mom. She thought of the friends she had made in Forks, of the lunch group and the people around town she had befriended by working in the bookshop, people she would never be seeing again. Then she thought about the first time she had met Tom in their kindergarten class, and how he had first initially won her friendship by giving her the extra pudding snack that his mom had packed in his lunch. It had been chocolate flavored.

Thinking about Tom sent an ache through her heart. It had been over a week since they had talked last, which was longer than usual for them. They had texted back and forth a few times, but she had otherwise been so preoccupied with Jasper that she hadn't found the time to actually call him and hold a _real_ conversation. She wished she could call him now and thank him for being such a good friend – no, for being _more_ than just a friend. For being the brother she had always wanted and needed. Tom had been her most loyal and close friend for nearly all of her life, and she loved him dearly. Now that her life was going to be cut unexpectedly short, she wouldn't be able to tell him that. Hopefully he knew it anyway, and hopefully attending her funeral wouldn't be too hard for him. Her mother would need him by her side, after all.

Her mother.

The ache in her heart worsened. Danielle wanted to say that Lynne would be strong, that she would be able to survive losing her…but she knew it was a lie. It had been just the two of them for so long. They were a _team_. They were mother and daughter, yes, but they were also _friends_. They had always taken care of each other, had always depended on one another. There were no words to properly describe the deep love and the strong bond that they had shared for all these years. Lynne had told her repeatedly throughout her life that she was the most important thing to her…and when Lynne discovered that she had been killed, Danielle knew that it was going to destroy her.

Fierce guilt swept through her. She would not be there to take care of her mother, to help her move past the heartbreak that surely lay in her future. Lynne would be left to face this world alone, suffering the loss of her only child, with nobody there to help her. Danielle had not even been able to say _goodbye_ to her. Not properly, anyway. She desperately yearned to hear her mother's voice. To just hug her and smell her hair and tell her how much she loved her. How none of this was her fault. How she needed to somehow find the strength to move on and live as full of a life as she could. But James wouldn't let her say goodbye. She knew it without even having to ask. The time for talking to her mother had passed. The only one he let her talk to now was Jasper.

Thinking about Jasper made her heart ache so badly that Danielle was sure it would stop working altogether.

Mere months ago, she had not even known that he existed. But then she had met him, and then she had fallen _in love_ with him, and he had quickly become the most important person in the world to her. He was so kind and good and wonderful, and he made her happy beyond words. She had never dreamed that she would meet someone like him, had never imagined that she could feel the sort of things that Jasper made her feel. Maybe it had been sheer luck that they had met, or maybe it had been _fate_ …but either way, Jasper had come into her life, and now she could no longer picture her world without him in it. No, they hadn't been together for long, but she knew, without a shadow of doubt, that she would have happily spent the rest of her life with him. Danielle would have _married_ him, would have taken his name and faced whatever this world had to throw at them _together_. All he would have needed to do was ask, and she would have said _yes_ without hesitation.

Danielle swallowed hard, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks again.

As horrible as all of this was, as much as she wished that none of this crap with James had happened, there was no part of her that regretted meeting Jasper. Sure, if she had never met Jasper she would be home safe and sound right now, completely unaware of the fact that vampires were real and none-the-wiser that James or Victoria or even Laurent existed. But if she had never met Jasper, she would have missed out on meeting a truly incredible person. And if she had never met Jasper, she would have never gotten the privilege of knowing what it felt like to be really, _truly_ in love with someone, and to have that someone really, _truly_ love her back. She might be on the verge of dying, yes, but at least for these few short, wonderful months, she had had Jasper. And that was a gift she would cherish with all of her heart for the rest of her life…however long _that_ might be.

Eventually, James returned. She knew this because the television in the living room turned on again and the home videos he had been watching resumed. James did not come to let her out of the closet, however, clearly uninterested in being in her presence or having to listen to anything she might have to say. Danielle couldn't say she minded much – she didn't particularly care to be in _his_ presence, either.

At some point she fell asleep, the stress of everything completely wiping her energy and making it impossible to stay awake. She was jerked back to consciousness, however, when the door to the closet swung open to reveal James, who looked downright giddy as he stared down at her.

"Time to come out now," he said.

He reached down to grab her by her non-broken ankle and dragged her back into the living room. Danielle tried to grab onto things as they went, her fingers scrambling to grab hold of the wall or the table or _anything_ , but it didn't do any good. James was too strong, and before she knew it, she was lying in a heap in front of the television. It was dark, both inside the house and outside – a glance at the clock on the wall told her it was nearly nine. Danielle blinked and looked at the bright television screen as James went toward the house phone, her eyes trained on a younger version of Bella decked out in a pink tutu and ballet shoes. The home video was paused, though she wasn't sure why.

"I have a surprise for you," James said with a grin. "We were so preoccupied earlier, we didn't realize we had missed a phone call from Bella."

He then pressed a button to play whatever message had been left, Bella's voice quickly filling the room. " _Mom, it's me. Listen, I need you to do something. It's important. As soon as you get this message, call me at this number_." Danielle listened as she repeated the number twice. " _Please don't go anywhere until you talk to me. Don't worry, I'm okay, but I have to talk to right away, no matter how late you call, all right? I love you, Mom. Bye_."

"And now we start our little game," James said with an evil grin.

He picked up the phone and quickly dialed the number that Bella had given, before pressing the phone to his ear and walking closer to the television. Danielle noticed a remote in his hand, and whenever his call was finally answered, he pressed play on the video he had paused and held the phone closer to the television. " _Bella? Bella?"_ Renee Swan said through the speakers, sounding worried and concerned. The younger Bella in the video was hiding in the corner, Danielle realized, and she looked upset. She watched the video for another second, then looked up at James. She could tell when Bella was on the phone, because he grinned widely and lifted the phone back to his ear.

"Be very careful not to say anything until I tell you to," he instructed. "Now, I don't _need_ to hurt anyone, so please do exactly as I say and everyone will be fine for now. Say yes if you understand." James paused, then smiled. "That's very good. Now, repeat after me, and _do_ try to sound natural. Please say, _'No, Mom, stay where you are_." James paused again, then continued. "Are you alone?" Pause. "Why don't you walk into the other room, then? As you're walking, say, _'Mom, please listen to me_.' Say it now." Another pause. "There now, are you alone? Just answer yes or no." Pause. "But they can still hear you if they want to?" James asked, his eyes flashing over at Danielle briefly. "Alright then," he said after a pause. "Say, _'Mom, trust me._ '" She must have done so, because he looked pleased.

"Don't worry, I don't have your mother, Bella," James finally revealed. "I _do_ however have your little friend Danielle," he said as he stepped closer to her, making her tense. James laughed as Bella said something on the other end of the line. "Do try to hide your shock. We wouldn't want to spoil the fun already," he told her in a mocking tone.

James suddenly put the phone against Danielle's ear. "Dani? _Dani_?" Bella was whispering furiously.

"Bella, I'm fine! Stay away! And keep Jasper away!" she yelled back urgently, taking advantage of this moment while she could. Bella's response was a muffled sob. "Don't come here! Don't do it!"

James pulled the phone away after that, leaving Danielle behind as he began to pace the room.

"Now I want you to listen very carefully," James said, his tone all business now. "I'm going to need you to get away from your friends. Do you think you can do that? Answer yes or no." She must have said no, because James frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping you would be a little more _cooperative_ than that."

Suddenly James was in front of Danielle again, and as he knelt down to grab her broken ankle and twist it roughly, there was nothing she could do to stop the scream of agony that tore from her throat. It felt like he was going to tear her foot clear off her body.

"I'm going to ask you _one more time_ , Bella," James growled over Danielle's screaming. "And you better think about your answer carefully, because Danielle's life depends on it." He twisted her ankle even more to make her scream again, just to drive the severity of the situation home. "Do you think you can get away now? _Yes or no_."

She must have answered yes, because James smiled and finally released Danielle's ankle. Danielle whimpered and curled in on herself, her whole body feeling as if it was on fire from the pain. "That's much better, Bella. I'm sure it won't be easy, but I believe you can get away. You will meet us at your old ballet studio. You know which one I speak of. And if I get the slightest hint that you have company, I assure you that Danielle _will_ die," he promised. "You must know enough about us by now to realize how quickly I would know if you tried to bring anyone along with you, and how little time I would need to end your friend's life. Do you understand? Yes or no." James smiled wider. "Very good, Bella. We will be anxiously awaiting you arrival."

James tossed the phone away carelessly after that, before crouching down in front of her. Danielle was crying again, though whether it was because of the pain in her ankle or the fact that Bella had given into James's demands, she wasn't sure.

"We are almost at the end of our journey, Danielle," he said, nodding to her. "You have been an _enormous_ help. For that, I thank you."

Danielle panted for a moment, still recovering from the torture he had just inflicted on her. Then, in a surge of anger, she spat in his face. "Go to hell!" she seethed.

James slowly wiped the spit away from his face, then gave her a look. His eyes had gone black with anger, but he made no move to hurt her again. "Defiant to the very end. I'm almost impressed," he hissed.

Danielle said nothing, just continued to glare at him with all the fire and hatred she felt.

James finally blinked and moved to stand again. "Time to go to our final stop and wait for our friend to join us," he announced.

Then he was yanking her up from the floor and tossing her over his rock hard shoulder. Danielle tried to fight back, tried to hit him and knee him and jam her elbow into his neck to make him let her go, but it did no good. All she accomplished was bruising and hurting _herself_. James ignored her, completely unfazed by her behavior, and moved to grab her bag, which looked fuller than she remembered it being. Then they were walking through the front door and leaving the Swan house behind.

* * *

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	19. Chapter Eighteen

**I'll keep this short because I don't want to keep you guys from this chapter any longer than necessary, but thank you so,** ** _so_** **much to all of you who followed or favorites this story, and an even bigger thank you to all of you for your kind reviews! Your support honestly means so much, and I love hearing your feedback!**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I own nothing related to the Twilight franchise, only the OC's!**

* * *

 _Chapter Eighteen_

It didn't take long at all to reach the ballet studio that James had summoned Bella to. They reached the dark, quiet building in less than five minutes, and James wasted no time walking straight inside.

He carried her into the middle of the room, then dumped her unceremoniously onto the hard, wooden floor. Danielle grunted as she landed with hard a thump, flares of pain springing up in her hip, arm, and her already injured ankle. She released a small sound of pain, then turned a glare on James in response to his rough manhandling. He wasn't paying attention to her, though. He had gone to the window to peer outside and make sure that nobody had seen them entering the building. Apparently satisfied with what he had seen, he turned back around and went to set her bag on a table in the corner. He unzipped it, then produced a handheld camera that most certainly did not belong to Danielle.

"Hopefully our guest of honor will not keep us waiting for long," he said, sounding more as if he was talking to himself than he was to her.

Danielle didn't bother responding, instead just watching in silence as he fiddled with the video camera he had brought with them. Finally, he stepped away from the table and turned back around to face her, his eyes trained on the little screen sticking out of the side as he pointed the camera at her.

"I thought it would be nice to leave a little message for our Cullen friends, let them see you and Bella in your last moments," he said in a light, almost _cheerful_ , tone. James stepped closer, until he was only a few feet away, and then pressed a button to make a red light begin to blink on the camera. "Here she is, Jasper. The woman you love so very much. She's pretty, I suppose…for a _human_ , anyway. Far too stubborn for my liking though, I'm afraid," he said to the camera. "We've had quite an adventure together today, haven't we, Danielle?" he asked, reaching out to touch her hair.

She smacked his hand away, scowling with disgust. "Don't touch me," she growled.

James chuckled at her darkly. "Quite a feisty one indeed," he mused, before turning the camera on himself. "Shall I tell you how our day has gone? Certainly you must be interested to know how Danielle _really_ spent her last day in this world." He smirked evilly at the camera. "You see, Victoria brought her to me. My mate just _knew_ there was something off about your woman, and when she discovered the truth – that Danielle was a _human_ – we finally found the key to getting Bella. It was easy to take her, and with a bit of… _persuasion_ …she told us exactly what we wanted to know."

James turned the camera on her again, crouching so that they were level with one another. "I brought her here, to Phoenix, right underneath your nose. Every time you spoke to her, all the time that you spent sitting comfortably in hiding operating under the belief that your lover was safe and sound in Forks, she was with _me_ ," he said almost gleefully. "Though I admit that she _did_ come close to escaping. As you might have gathered, I figured out what she was doing and was able to get her back before she could get far. I _did_ have to punish her for her behavior, though, didn't I?"

His hand was around her broken ankle before she could blink. He didn't squeeze too hard, but that didn't matter – her ankle was so sensitive that Danielle _still_ cried out, her face contorting with pain. James merely grinned as he recorded her reaction. "I couldn't risk her running away again, so I broke her ankle," he revealed, now zooming the camera in on the appendage he was still squeezing. Danielle bit her lip in an attempt to stop herself from screaming more, not wanting to give James the satisfaction of knowing just how badly he was hurting her, but it was a vain attempt. His hand around her ankle was too painful, so much so that her vision was beginning to swim.

He finally released her. Danielle couldn't help but collapse on the ground, breathing hard as she tried to recover from the immense pain throbbing through her ankle and leg. James quickly moved to stand over her so he could keep recording her face, obviously wanting Jasper to witness every horrible second of her pain.

"So weak. So fragile," he said with a dark laugh. He then turned the camera on himself again. "I'm afraid, Jasper, that this is only the beginning of our fun. Danielle will suffer much worse before it is all said and done. This all could have been avoided, of course, had you been a little bit smarter about all of this." James shook his head and clicked his tongue in disapproval. "You'll learn your lesson in the end. That I can promise you."

He stopped recording after that, pressing a button again to make the red light on the video camera stop blinking. James looked down at her, uncaring of her pain as he smiled and shrugged. "Don't want to run down the battery before Bella gets here, do we?" he asked.

Danielle didn't answer, just closed her eyes as she panted for air, willing the pain in her ankle to subside so that she could think straight again. She only opened her eyes again when her phone started to ring. James quickly pulled it from his pocket, eager to see who was calling and undoubtedly hoping it was Bella. He frowned when he read the ID, however, before shaking his head and stuffing the phone back into his pocket.

"Your mother again," he said, sounding annoyed. "I've lost count of how many times she's called today."

Danielle sat up, her heart clenching at the mention of her mother. "Can I talk to her? Please?" she begged, not caring how pitiful she might sound doing so. When James merely quirked a brow at her, Danielle gave him a pleading look. "We both know how all of this is gonna end," she said. "Just…let me say goodbye to my mother. _Please_."

James stared at her for a moment longer, then smiled and shook his head. "No," he said simply. No reasons. No explanation. Just _no_.

He turned away from her after that and went back to the window to keep watch on anything that might be happening outside. Danielle knew she shouldn't have expected him to actually grant her wish and allow her to talk to her mother, knew how heartless he was and how little he cared about her or the things she wanted…but still. The fact that he refused to allow her to talk to her mother in the little time she had left _crushed_ her. Combine that with the terrifying knowledge that her time on this earth was becoming more limited by the moment and, well…there was absolutely nothing she could do to suppress the tears that began to stream down her cheeks as everything she felt inside became too overwhelming to deal with.

She didn't know how long she cried for, but when she finally had no more tears to shed, her eyes were sore and puffy and she felt utterly exhausted. James had not moved from his spot by the window, nor had he said a word to her. He seemed content to completely ignore her while he awaited Bella's phone call.

They stayed that way for a long time, James standing by the window while Danielle sat quietly on the floor, her body numb from despair and her eyes trained unblinkingly on a dark scuff mark on the floor by her feet. Eventually, though, she snapped out of it and started to look around, until her eyes landed on a digital clock on the other side of the room – _10:53_. She started to wonder where Bella was now, and whether or not she intended to come. She honestly hoped that Bella _wouldn't_ come, hoped that Bella _wouldn't_ just blindly follow James's orders and give herself to him on a silver platter. Jasper had said Edward, Emmett, and Carlisle were arriving at eleven, and it was almost that time. Danielle hoped Bella had told Jasper and Alice what was going on, and that they were all currently coming up with some sort of plan to rescue her and take down James once they had reinforcements.

No sooner had that thought crossed her mind when her cell phone began to ring again. James retrieved the phone from his pocket again, but this time he smiled. "Hello, Bella," he said as he pressed the phone to his ear. Danielle's heart sank immediately. "And you are alone, yes?" James asked after a brief pause. "You know the consequences if you attempt to bring any of the Cullen's with you." Another pause, then James grinned. "Wonderful. We will see you soon."

James clicked the phone shut and then walked back over to where she was sitting. "Bella's on her way. She should be here in less than twenty minutes," he said, sounding giddy with excitement. He then crouched down in front of her and held out her phone for her to take. "I think it's time to call Jasper now."

Danielle hesitated, then slowly took the phone from him. Under James's watchful gaze, she opened the phone and found Jasper's name, before dialing out. Her hand was trembling as she pressed her phone to her ear.

"Hi, darlin'," he said when he answered, though she could tell at once that he sounded distracted and worried. "Don't take this the wrong way, but now isn't really a good time. Edward, Carlisle, and Emmett just got here, and there's a situation we need to deal with. Can I call you back?"

James shook his head at her immediately. "No, Jasper," Danielle said, her voice thick with emotion. "I need to talk to you. It's important."

Jasper paused on his end. "Danielle? What is it? What's wrong?" he asked, knowing something was wrong straight off the bat.

She didn't know what to say for a few moments. Finally, she said the first thing that came to mind. "I love you, Jasper," she said, tears springing to her eyes again. She had thought she had cried all of her tears, but apparently she had been wrong. "I love you so much. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, you know that?"

Jasper sounded even more worried when he responded. "Why are you talking like that, darlin'?"

Danielle glanced at James. "Because something bad has happened, and I just…I _need_ you to know how much I love you before…" But she couldn't get the rest of the words out, because her throat had suddenly become too tight to speak.

"Before what?" Jasper prompted. "What's happened, Danielle? You're beginning to really worry me."

Danielle closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, knowing that what she was about to say would change everything. When she opened her eyes again, James was staring her down intently. _Tell him_ , he mouthed. "I'm not in Forks, Jasper," she revealed bluntly. "I'm in Phoenix."

Jasper went very quiet for a moment. "What?" he asked.

"They found out about me. Victoria and James. They…they _took_ me," she said, her voice shaking. "James didn't come to Phoenix with Victoria. He came with _me_."

"No," Jasper said in denial. "That can't be true. Alice would've seen it. She didn't – "

He stopped short when a distressed voice cut over him. The voice was high pitched and female, obviously belonging to Alice, but she was talking so fast that Danielle couldn't understand her. James must have been able to, though, because he smirked in an evil, satisfied way. Alice must have finally seen that Danielle _was_ with James, because when Jasper spoke again, his tone was completely different.

" _Where are you_?" he demanded, his tone vicious and desperate. He sounded terrified and furious all at the same time.

James shook his head, silently signaling that she shouldn't tell him. Danielle felt brave, though, or maybe it was just a moment of sheer recklessness. He was going to kill her anyway – why _not_ try to tell Jasper where she was? "I'm at the – " she started to say very quickly.

James had a hand around her ankle faster than she could blink. He twisted it violently, making her howl from the pain. " _Danielle_!" Jasper shouted as he heard her scream, his voice rough and strained.

James plucked the phone from her hand and put the call on speakerphone. "Sorry, Jasper," James said with a smirk. "Couldn't have your lover giving _everything_ away, now could I?"

" _You dared to put your hands on her_?" Jasper snarled. Danielle had never heard him so enraged before. "I'll kill you for this! You're _dead_ , do you hear me?"

"Actually, it's _Danielle_ who's going to be dead soon," James corrected with a chuckle.

" _You son of a bitch_!" Jasper shouted back. The fact that he was cursing when Danielle had hardly heard even the most _mild_ of bad words from him before was proof of just how far gone he was in his rage.

James chuckled again, far too amused by how riled up Jasper was. "Time to say goodbye now."

James held the phone closer to Danielle, who was sobbing by this point. "I'm coming for you, Danielle. I'm coming right now!" Jasper said urgently. "I'll find you! I swear it!"

"No. Don't! Don't put yourself at risk. It's what he wants!" she said with a shake of her head.

"Danielle – "

"Stay away, Jasper!" she interrupted. She pressed her lips together, then sucked in a deep breath. "I'm so sorry, Jasper. I wish we'd had more time. You've made me so happy," she said, determined to say everything she needed to while she still had the chance. "I would have spent the rest of my life with you. I would have _married_ you." Danielle sniffled loudly, barely able to see through all of the tears streaming down her cheeks. "I love you, Jasper. Never forget that!"

"Danielle, no. Don't go. Don't get off the phone!" Jasper pleaded desperately. "Don't – "

But whatever he was going to say was cut off as James clicked the phone shut, ending the call. Then he crushed the phone in his hand and carelessly threw away the broken fragments.

"Now _that_ was satisfying," James said with a grin. "I only wish I could have seen his face when you told him."

Danielle couldn't respond, couldn't even look at him. She sobbed into her hands, feeling haunted by the way Jasper had sounded as their last conversation played through her mind like a record that had been put on repeat. Finally, James seemed to reach the end of his patience. He rolled his eyes before wrapping a hand in her hair, roughly yanking her head up so that he could see her face. He was scowling at her, his eyes full of annoyance and disgust.

"I've had enough of listening to your blubbering," he said.

Then he reared back and hit her in the head, and everything went dark.

* * *

"Dani? _Dani_? Oh god, please wake up!"

The voice sounded distant and distorted at first, but slowly started to become louder and clearer. When something began to gently tap against her cheek, Danielle finally began to stir, her eyes blinking blearily as she tried to focus on the world around her. It took a few moments, but eventually the fuzzy figure hovering over her came into focus. It was Bella, and though she was crying and looked terrified, she breathed a massive sigh of relief when their eyes met.

"Oh, thank god!" Bella said, leaning down to hug her tightly. "I thought you were dead!"

Danielle didn't say anything at first, still feeling slow and sluggish in her first moments of consciousness. It wasn't until Bella was pulling away that she realized James was nowhere in sight. Her fear of the vampire had her body and mind alert again in a second, her eyes quickly scanning the room for any sign of him.

"Where's James?" Bella asked, as if she could read Danielle's mind. She, too, was looking around quickly, her teeth gnawing at her lower lip with uneasiness.

"I…I don't know," Danielle admitted. "But he can't be far."

Bella looked back down to her, then grabbed her by the arms. "C'mon, let's try to get out of here," she said urgently, already attempting to pull her up. "Can you stand?"

"I can try, but my ankle's broken. I won't be able to move fast," Danielle warned.

Concern flashed through Bella's eyes, but she still nodded in understanding. "I'll help you," she promised.

With a grunt, Bella finally pulled Danielle up from the floor. Once she was up and balancing on her good leg, Danielle rested an arm around Bella's shoulders and closed her eyes, groaning as her head throbbed and the world seemed to tilt on its axis. Bella gave her a moment to recover before locking an arm around her waist and leading her toward the door as fast as Danielle's injured ankle would allow.

"Does Jasper know you're here?" Bella asked.

Her conversation with him came flooding back, making her heart throb just as painfully as her head and ankle were. "He does now," she said. Danielle shook her head and gave Bella a hard look. "You shouldn't have come here, Bella," she said with despair. "You know what James will do to you once he gets his hands on you!"

"He was going to kill you, Dani!" Bella said in shock. "I couldn't just leave you."

"He was gonna kill me whether you came or not!" Danielle countered.

Bella opened her mouth to respond, but a new voice beat her to the punch. "She's right, you know."

They both instantly froze, then let out simultaneous gasps as James dropped from the ceiling and landed on the hard wood floor not five feet in front of them. With the exit officially blocked, Bella and Danielle backed up to put more space between themselves and James. Bella had begun to breathe a little quicker, her eyes wide and the hand she had wrapped around Danielle's forearm beginning to feel sweaty.

"Hello, Bella," James greeted. He had the video camera in his hand and the red light was blinking to signal that he was recording again. "So wonderful to see you again. I was starting to _miss_ you. Lucky for me, though, Danielle has been _very_ entertaining company."

He took a step forward, and when he did, Bella immediately planted herself in front Danielle, flinging her arms out wide and doing her best to shield her from James. "Leave her alone!" she said with a surprising amount of authority. "She has nothing to do with this! It's _me_ you want!"

James laughed at Bella's attempt to protect Danielle. "You're right. It _is_ you that I want," James agreed. "But you see, it was _her_ lover who took you away from me. For that, he must be punished. And I can think of no better punishment than to take Danielle away from him in the most painful way possible."

James stepped even closer, his eyes darting down to the little screen attached to the camera. Danielle and Bella continued to move backwards away from him, Danielle hobbling while Bella reached back to keep a steadying hand on her. They were running out of space, though, and a quick glance behind her let Danielle know that they were quickly backing themselves into a dead end.

"At first, I didn't quite see the appeal in either of you, to be honest. But now, after some consideration, I think I understand why those Cullen's have been keeping you around. You humans can be _quite_ interesting," James mused aloud. "Of course, your mortality poses quite a large problem. You are so… _easily breakable_. Isn't that right, Danielle?" he added tauntingly.

"Screw you, asshole!" Danielle tossed back furiously, despite the fact that she was shaking, despite the rampant fear raging through her veins.

James chuckled and continued his slow, predatory trek forward. Danielle tightened her grip on Bella, who seemed determined to remain her human shield. "It didn't have to be this way, you know," James said, speaking to the camera now. "If Edward and Jasper had simply turned our precious little friends, _none_ of this would have happened. I would have had no need to hunt Bella, which means I would have never needed Danielle's assistance to lure her out of hiding. Both of them would be home safe and sound and well away from any danger I might present," he explained. "Yes, the answer was right in front of you all along, only you were too _foolish_ to see it," he continued. "Lucky for me, I suppose. For I do so _hate_ my plans being thwarted. It happened once before, if I am to be perfectly honest with you, and it was _incredibly_ aggravating," he proceeded to admit. "A long time ago, I came across a human who was… _most_ intoxicating. She was a troubled creature at the time, plagued with _visions_."

Danielle ears perked st the word _visions_. Bella's interest was caught to, because they shared a quick look with one another before looking back to James as he continued. "She would have been labeled a witch and burned at the stake for her gifts if it'd been a hundred years earlier, but in the nineteen-twenties, the answer for people with her condition was the asylum and shock treatments. I _wanted_ her. Before I could claim her, however, an old vampire who so stupidly adored her _turned_ her. When she opened her eyes again, free from her little black cell and strong with her new life, there was no reason for me to touch her. I did not see her again after that…not until we all met in the field, anyway," he revealed.

"Alice?" Bella breathed in astonishment.

"Yes," James confirmed. "I was surprised to see her again. I was even more surprised when Danielle revealed to me how her visions from her human life had strengthened and transformed with immortality," he added. "It was how I was able to trick your coven. Keep changing my mind, keep you guessing, never reveal my true intent. It made everything so much easier." James suddenly frowned. "Actually, it might have made things a little _too_ easy. It was too simple, too _quick_ , to get you here to me, Bella. I expected a much greater challenge." He sighed, then shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh well. The _real_ sport now shall come from Edward and Jasper, and the rage that will consume the both of them after you two are dead."

James was right in front of them now, practically shoving the camera in Bella's face. Bella leaned back against Danielle, pressing so close that she sandwiched Danielle against the wall behind her. "I suppose we should get on with it," James said with a note of excitement. "Any last words? Danielle already got to say her goodbyes to Jasper. Is there anything you would like to say to Edward?"

"You leave him alone!" Bella said angrily, even though her voice shook with unmasked fear. "He has nothing to do with this!"

James chuckled, then finally began to step backwards. "He has _everything_ to do with this," he said, moving away from them and edging closer to the table in the corner. "And I will _enjoy_ killing him. Jasper, too."

"Bella, you have to go," Danielle whispered harshly once James was no longer standing between them and the door. The chances of escape were slim and she knew it, but if Bella still had a chance of surviving, then she had to at least _try_. "Run while you can!"

Bella gave her a sharp look over her shoulder. "I'm _not_ leaving you!" she hissed, shaking her head.

 _"_ _Nobody_ is going _anywhere_ ," James interrupted, drawing their attention back to them. He had set the camera down on the table, angling it in a way so that it could film the room. "Your time is up," he announced. "It's time to _play."_

He suddenly dropped into a crouch that they both knew meant trouble. The time for talking was over – the time for _killing_ had come. Danielle clutched at Bella even tighter, her heart pounding so hard that she was amazed it hadn't exploded out of her ribs yet. Bella reached back for her, one of her hands scrambling to grab Danielle's and squeeze it tightly, her whole body trembling. In that moment, they both knew what was about to happen.

They were both about to die.

James moved fast. One moment he was on the other side of the room, then, in the next, he was right in front of them. He grabbed Bella, and though Danielle _tried_ to hang on to her, he yanked her out of Danielle's grasp anyway and then threw her across the room as if she was a mere ragdoll. Danielle cried out with horror, watching helplessly as Bella was sent careening into a mirror. The mirror shattered, then rained all over Bella ad she collapsed onto the floor.

"Bella!" Danielle cried out desperately.

Before she could even think to try to get to her, James had a hand locked around Danielle's neck. Her eyes went wide and her mouth opened and closed like a fish, her fingers grappling at James's as she struggled for air. He used his grip on her neck to pull her close, his eyes black as he snarled in her face, before he turned and threw her as well. For a few moments, she felt weightless as she soared across the ballet studio. Then gravity took over and she plummeted back to the floor, pain erupting in several places as she landed _hard_ on the studio floor.

Danielle groaned as she lay there on the floor, unable to move for a few long moments. When she finally felt able to focus on the world around her, she looked to see that James was standing over Bella now, looking rather pleased as he observed the shards of the glass that were littered all over Bella, as well as the floor around her. With a cringe, Danielle realized she could see some blood on the broken mirror above Bella.

"Beautiful," he observed. "Very visually dynamic."

Danielle watched as he crouched over her friend, as he grabbed her by the leg and smirked at her evilly. In a heartbeat, she knew what he intended to do – he was going to break either Bella's leg or her ankle, just as he had broken her own. Danielle started crawling toward them, moving as fast as her aching body would allow. She didn't know what she thought she might accomplish once she got there, but she _knew_ she couldn't just sit back and do _nothing_. Before she could get to them, however, she heard a sickening and all too familiar _CRACK,_ followed by an earsplitting scream from Bella. Danielle cringed, knowing Bella's leg had just been broken.

"Having a change of heart yet, Bella?" James growled out tauntingly.

Bella just continued to cry with pain, her hand grappling for her leg.

She didn't know where the strength came from, but suddenly Danielle was able to pull herself up onto her good foot, the pain in her own body momentarily forgotten. She hopped the few feet needed to reach James and launched herself onto his back without a second thought. Something had snapped inside her, a fire of hatred had begun to burn so hotly that she thought she might actually breathe fire. She screamed as she clawed at his face with her nails, trying in vain to scratch out his eyeballs. Anything to at least _try_ to inflict injury on him.

"Get away from her you son of a bitch!" Danielle hollered.

James growled with impatience, stood to his full height, then reached back to grab her. The world turned upside down as he flipped her over his head and threw her down into the shards from the broken mirror. She barely felt the sting of the glass cutting her skin, finding herself far more concerned with James as he cocked his head to the side, his eyes full of murder. The next thing she knew, he was kicking her and sending her flying through the air again until it was her turn to connect with a mirror. There was a loud _CRASH_ as she hit the glass mirror, followed by a _thump_ as she hit the floor. She did not have the strength or the alertness to shield herself as glass rained on her, cutting her skin.

It was almost impossible to breathe. Between him throwing her to the floor and then kicking her, the wind had gotten knocked clean out of her. Danielle struggled to fill her lungs, hunching over as she tried to force air into her body. Finally, she began to cough violently, sucking in air in large gulps as her lungs began to work properly again. Her entire body ached by now, and there was sharp pain in her ribs that made her wince when she breathed too deeply. She felt fairly confident that she had broken one of them, if not more.

James seemed unconcerned with her for the time being. He turned back to Bella, who had a horrified look in her face as she stared at Danielle. Her eyes turned back to James, however, when he stood over her.

"Come now, Bella," he almost cooed. "Wouldn't you like to tell Edward how much it _hurts_?" He moved his foot to press on her leg, making her scream loudly. "Would you like to tell him to _avenge_ _you_?" James prompted quickly.

Bella let out another piercing scream as he put more pressure on her broken leg. "No! No, Edward! Don't!"

James growled with anger. Obviously that was not the response he had wanted. He leaned down to grab Bella by the arm, then threw her across the room. Danielle watched as Bella come flying toward her, landing heavily in all of the glass shards on the floor less than a foot away. One of the shards had embedded deep into her leg, and as Bella groaned and pulled it out, blood began to pool around her. As her friend fell back onto the floor, her face paler than normal, Danielle found it the strength in herself to move closer to her. When James began to advance on them again, Danielle threw herself over Bella protectively and grabbed the biggest shard of glass she could find, wielding it like a dagger and waving it at James threateningly. The shard wouldn't _do_ anything to him, of course, but it made her feel better to have a weapon nonetheless.

"Stop!" she shouted.

James stopped, sighed, then rolled his eyes in annoyance. He looked up at the ceiling before giving her a look of boredom. "I've had about all I can take of you, Danielle," he said warningly. "You're beginning to be a _nuisance_."

"I won't just sit back and watch you kill her," she said around heavy pants for air. "If you want Bella…you have to go through _me_ first."

James smirked wickedly. " _Gladly_ ," he growled.

He moved to attack again, and Danielle braced for impact. Just before he could reach them, though, the doors to the ballet studio suddenly slammed open and a figure came flying in from out of nowhere, intercepting James mere feet in front of her and hitting him hard enough to send him flying across the room. Danielle blinked in surprise, then felt a surge of hope when she realized she recognized the person who had just arrived.

 _Edward._

He stared down at Bella in horror for a moment, then at her, his gaze flickering between the two of them as he took in the state of them. His eyes then flashed with anger and he let loose a loud, threatening snarl, his gaze shifting over to James. Just as he moved to attack, however, James launched at him, grabbing him by the throat and slamming him into the nearest wall.

"You're alone," James said, almost sounding surprised. "Is it because you're _faster_ than the others?"

Edward glared at him dangerously. " _Not alone_ ," he growled out.

Two seconds after the words left his lips, the doors banged open again. This time, the hope Danielle felt was so immense that she nearly cried.

Jasper was there, looking wild eyed and manic, his gaze immediately locking on her. For one moment in time his expression was full of pain as he saw the damage that James had already done. But then the pain vanished, his face contorting with rage unlike anything she had ever seen before. His powers went haywire, sending a strong wave of hatred and fury crashing through the room. Danielle shivered with fear in response to it, unable to help the way the negative emotions had her hair standing on end.

James, however, looked unconcerned. In fact, he looked _thrilled_. "Oh yes. I _knew_ you'd be vicious." James heaved and threw Edward across the room, sending him careening into one of the other mirrors. He then turned to face Jasper fully, motioning for him to come forward. "Come, then. Show me what you can do," he urged.

Jasper growled, dropped into a crouch, then lunged for James. They connected hard with one another, sounding like two boulders colliding.

Danielle couldn't keep up with their fight. They moved so quickly that the two vampires were nothing more than a blur of flailing limbs and loud snarling. They had been fighting for only a few seconds, however, when James must have landed a hit on Jasper that had him flying toward them. Danielle thought he was in for a hard landing, but at the last minute he caught himself and effortlessly landed in a crouch a few feet away from her. James hissed and started toward him, but then Edward was there, grabbing him by the arm and throwing him across the room.

While Edward and James began to fight, Jasper turned to her and Bella, moving in close so that he could place a hand on her cheek, his eyes flashing over her features. There was still rage on his beautiful face, but concern was shining in his midnight black eyes.

"You have to go, Danielle. Take Bella and get out of here while we have him distracted," he ordered. "The others will be here soon. They can get you two to safety."

Danielle shook her head. "I can't go anywhere," she said breathlessly, feeling weak and drained and far too in pain to move even an _inch_ , let alone to try to get out of the studio completely. "My ankle's broken, and Bella's in no condition to go anywhere."

Jasper's expression darkened as his eyes dropped momentarily to her abused ankle, before he raised his gaze back to hers. " _Try,_ " he urged. "We'll hold him off." Then he just a blur as he raced back toward Edward and James.

As the three vampires became locked in battle, Danielle cursed under her breath and started trying to do as Jasper had ordered her. She abandoned her glass shard, ignoring the deep, bleeding cut that it had inflicted on her palm, and grabbed Bella by her jacket, before doing her best to drag Bella toward the door. It was an excruciatingly slow process, however. Bella had lost a lot of blood and was hardly alert, which meant she wasn't doing much of anything to help Danielle. As for Danielle, it was nearly impossible to pull Bella _and_ scoot herself along the floor with only one good leg. It was too difficult, and they were getting nowhere fast.

They had only managed to cover about a foot or so of ground when a figure went sailing overhead. Edward had gotten hit by James and had gone flying up toward the upper windows about fifteen feet above them. While Jasper growled and fought even harder against James, Edward jumped down to where she and Bella were.

"Go!" Jasper shouted. "Get them out of here!"

Danielle immediately began to protest – if Edward left, Jasper would be up against James _alone_. Clearly James was skilled fighter if he was able to hold his own against Jasper _and_ Edward, and the thought of Jasper going up against him _without_ backup was terrifying. Edward nodded, though, and reached down to scoop Bella up. Just as he turned to get Danielle next, completely ignoring any and all arguments on her part, a loud _CRASH_ made them all look to see that James had gotten the upper hand on Jasper and had thrown him so hard that he had actually gone right into the back wall, creating a large hole.

James turned and rushed them immediately. Edward hastily set Bella down so that he could hold off the wild vampire, but he wasn't fast enough – he had barely set Bella back down when James punched, grabbed him by his shirt, then threw him at Jasper just as he was pulling himself out of the rubble. The Cullen's collided and went sailing back into the wall again.

What happened next happened very quickly. In the second that it took Edward and Jasper to recover, James set his sights on her and Bella. Before Danielle could react, before she could think to try to pull her friend away, James had a hold of Bella and was leaning over her, his eyes wild and hungry. Then, without hesitation, he lifted Bella's arm up to his mouth and sank his teeth into her flesh.

"No!" Danielle cried.

But James didn't have his teeth in Bella for long. Edward and Jasper were back, fighting twice as hard now. They separated James from Bella, landing hit after hit and forcing him back. Danielle scrambled ungracefully back to Bella's side, her eyes wide with fear as she watched her friend shake and cry out with agony. Bella's eyes were wide and unfocused and darting all around now. Danielle looked down at the bite mark, then moved to hold Bella's head, her hands shaking as she tried to meet her friend's eyes.

"Bella, you're okay! I'm here!" she whispered urgently.

There was a howl of pain, then a loud crash that made her jump and look toward the dueling vampires. She looked just in time to see that James had been slammed into the floor, creating a large crater in the middle of the studio. Jasper yanked him up and soon had the nomad's arms pinned behind his back, holding him prisoner. James tried to break free, but Jasper's grip was too tight.

"Finish him now!" Jasper shouted to Edward.

Edward stepped forward and grabbed James by the head. With a vicious shout and a hard twist, he ripped James head clear off his body, then tossed it away. Jasper released the now headless form of the vampire, letting it crumple to the ground.

And just like that, it was over.

The moment James was dead, Edward and Jasper rushed over to her and Bella. Bella was still letting out rough sounds of pain, her whole body shaking, while Danielle continued to cradle her head. Both vampires saw the bite mark on Bella's arm and went wide eyed, before sharing a look that Danielle couldn't quite read.

"What's happened to her?" she asked with confusion, wincing as Bella screamed with pain and twitched violently.

Before Jasper or Edward could answer, the doors burst open again, making Danielle jump with fright. As Carlisle, Emmett, and Alice rushed into the studio, however, she instantly relaxed. The three Cullen's looked at her as she cradled Bella's head, looked at James's body, then stared down at Bella. Emmett and Alice stood rooted to the spot with similar looks of horror on their face, but Carlisle frowned deeply and hurried forward to kneel down next to Danielle.

"What happened?" he asked.

"She's hurt bad," Danielle said, her voice shaky and her cheeks wet with tears. "James broke her leg, and she has a bad cut on her thigh. He…he bit her, Carlisle," she finished, pointing to the bite mark. "I think it's done something to her!"

Carlisle frowned deeply. "It's James's venom," he said. "He injected it into her bloodstream when he bit her. It's starting the process of turning her into a vampire," he revealed, which made Danielle's eyes go wide. Carlisle turned away from her and looked to the stream of blood that was still running freely out of the wound on Bella's leg. "We need to stop the flow of blood," he said aloud, already pulling his belt free from his pants so he could use it as a tourniquet. "Edward! I need you!"

As Carlisle and Edward started attending to Bella, Danielle felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Jasper standing behind her, his eyes swirling with so many emotions that she couldn't pinpoint one in particular. Suddenly, she _needed_ to be close to him. She lifted her arms to him and he quickly complied, gently pulling her up from the ground and into his protective embrace. He trembled against her, his face burying into her hair as he held her to his chest securely. Every part of her body hurt and it was painful to move, let alone be touched, but Danielle didn't care. She held him tighter, pressing as close as she could, desperate to feel as much contact with him as possible.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm _so sorry_ ," Jasper repeated over and over again.

"I'm sorry, too," Danielle whispered back thickly. "This…this is all _my_ fault. I told him where Bella was. I told him about Alice's visions. But he _made_ me do it, Jasper! He said he would kill _everyone_ I loved if I didn't!"

"This isn't your fault," Jasper countered at once, pulling back far enough to shake his head. "You didn't have any other choice. _I'm_ the one to blame for this. I should have never left you in Forks. I should have been with you. I should have _protected_ you." Jasper shook his head again. She could feel his anguish and his guilt clear as day.

"You _did_ protect me," she said with a nod. "You and Edward found us. You stopped him, Jasper."

Jasper still shook his head. "I thought…I thought I was going to _lose_ you," he whispered with anguish. "I thought you were going to _die_."

Danielle touched his cheek. "Well, I didn't. I'm still here."

Jasper nodded, but still looked pained. He said nothing more though, instead just pulled her close so that he could kiss her, holding her tightly to his chest as his lips moved desperately against hers. As wonderful as it was to be kissing him again, as good as it felt to be close to him, Danielle couldn't help but wince and gasp with pain when his grip proved to be too much for her beaten up body. Jasper pulled away at once, his eyes flashing with concern as looked her over.

"How hurt are you?" he asked.

"On a scale of one to ten? Probably at about a twenty," she admitted honestly.

Jasper frowned deeply. "We need to get you to a hospital," he said, before turning to Carlisle. "Carlisle – "

But Carlisle wasn't paying them any attention, because he appeared to be having some sort of argument with Edward. "Edward, you _have_ to do it," Carlisle said sternly, still hunched over Bella's leg as he tried to staunch the flow of blood seeping out of the deep wound.

"No!" Edward bellowed.

"If you do not try to suck the venom back out, she _will_ turn. Is that what you want?" Carlisle asked.

Edward looked completely torn. "I…I don't know if I can do it," he admitted. "If I start, I might not be able to stop."

"You _can_ stop. You are strong. You can do this," Carlisle said encouragingly. "I've almost got this wound to stop bleeding. Do it now, Edward, or it will be too late," he finished warningly.

Edward looked at Bella for moment, then finally nodded and gently reached for her arm. "I'm sorry, Bella," he whispered, sounding anguished. "I'm going to make it better, alright?"

As he sank his teeth back into Bella's arm to suck out the venom that James had left behind, Danielle had to turn away, unable to watch. She instead watched as Emmett and Alice yanked up the floorboards of the dance studio and tossed them into a large pile, the two of then working quickly. When they had finished building a large pile, they went to James's body and tore it to pieces, throwing his appendages on top of the pile. Once that was done, they grabbed a gas can that they had brought with them and started dousing everything in sight.

She turned her eyes away from the sight when Carlisle appeared next to her. Edward must have finished getting rid of the venom in Bella, because he was gently lifting her up from the ground and cradling her in his arms – Bella appeared to have fallen unconscious.

"Is she okay?" Danielle asked.

"I think she will be, yes," Carlisle assured her. "What about _you?_ " he asked, his eyes filled with concern. "Where are you hurt?"

Danielle offered a weak smile. "The better question is where am I _not_ hurt?" she countered.

Carlisle heaved, but still nodded. His eyes then widened with alarm when he took in the state of her clothing, which had her looking down. There was a significant amount of blood on her, both hers _and_ Bella's. Danielle felt a jolt, too, and at the same time they both looked at Jasper with worry. His eyes were still darker than usual, though whether that was his hatred for James lingering behind or because all of the human blood in the room was having an effect on his hunger, Danielle couldn't say for sure. Carlisle, however, seemed to think it better to get her away from Jasper while he still appeared to be in control.

"Perhaps I should – " Carlisle started to say, gently reaching for Danielle to pull her out of Jasper's embrace.

" _No_ ," Jasper said sharply, his eyes glinting fiercely as he held her tighter. "I'm fine. My hunger is the least of my concerns right now. All I care about is getting Danielle help," he insisted.

Carlisle seemed surprised at first, but then nodded once, looking proud of Jasper for his self-control. "Alright," he said, before shifting his attention to Emmett and Alice. "Finish up quickly," he instructed the two. "We need to get Bella and Dani to the hospital."

Emmett nodded, and without further ado, he produced a small packet of matches from his pocket and lit the pile he and Alice had built on fire. As the orange flames grew larger and heat began to fill the room, Jasper gently lifted her up into his arms bridal style. For a moment he stared at her broken ankle, frowning deeply at the odd angle her foot was sticking out. Then he looked at her, before pressing a tender kiss to her forehead.

"We have to run, but I'll be gentle. I promise," he said.

Danielle nodded, then tightened her arms around his neck. Emmett and Alice joined them, and for one brief second her eyes met Emmett's. There was no smile on his face, but she could see guilt shining through his eyes clear as day. Danielle frowned, but before she had the chance to say anything to Emmett, they were hurrying through the entrance and taking off down the street, leaving the ballet studio behind as it slowly became engulfed in flames.

* * *

Danielle woke to a steady beeping sound in her ears. Blinking blearily, she opened her eyes, wincing momentarily against the bright, white lights overhead. She then glanced to the left, where she saw a machine that was monitoring her heart rate and blood pressure, as well as a few other pieces of equipment that she wasn't sure what the purpose for them was. It was around that time that she realized her hand was being held by something cold and firm. Turning her head to the right, she couldn't help but smile wearily as her gaze landed Jasper, who was sitting in the chair next to her hospital bed.

"Hey," she said hoarsely.

Jasper managed a small smile. "Hey, yourself," he said, leaning down to kiss her knuckles, his eyes locked with hers the entire time.

The pain in her body had lessened significantly, which was probably only because she was undoubtedly pumped full of pain meds at the moment. She looked down at herself, glad to see that all the blood had been cleaned off of her but still frowning when she saw the many bruises and bandages decorating her body. With a sigh, she lay her head back on the pillow. Try as she might, she could not possibly begin to guess what time of day it was, nor how much time had passed since she'd been admitted to the hospital. Everything had been one, giant blur since the Cullen's had rescued her and Bella from the now deceased James. She could remember bits and pieces – like arriving in the emergency room, being looked over by a middle-aged, female doctor, and being taken to some separate room for x-rays – but between the pain from her injuries and her exhaustion after everything that had happened, the rest was too hazy to make sense of.

"What time is it?" she asked Jasper.

"Past noon," he answered, not releasing her hand. "You've been asleep for a while."

Danielle nodded in understanding, before frowning when she remembered that she had not seen Bella since they had started being tended to by the hospital staff. "How's Bella? Is she okay?" she asked worriedly.

Jasper nodded. "She's doing alright, considering everything James put her through," he said reassuringly. "She's unconscious still. She lost a lot of blood and she's not in the best shape. But she's stable," he said. "The doctors say she'll be alright."

Danielle breathed a massive sigh of relief, relaxing into her mattress at the good news. "Thank God," she murmured, her eyes falling closed.

"How do _you_ feel?" Jasper asked, which had her opening her eyes again.

"Like I was hit by a bus, then the bus reversed right over me and hit me again," she admitted. Jasper nodded slowly, his brows creased together and a frown tugging the corners of his mouth downward. "What's the damage then?" Danielle asked, since she still didn't know the full extent of her injuries – all she knew was that her body _hurt_ pretty much everywhere.

Jasper steeled himself, then began to go down the list. "Severely fractured ankle, three broken ribs, more cuts and bruises than even _I_ can count, and a mild concussion," he said, his frown deepening with each new injury he listed off. "You'll need surgery to set your ankle right, and the doctor said there's a chance you might have a permanent limp once everything is said and done."

Danielle heaved. "Wonderful," she said dully. "What do the doctors think happened to us?"

"Carlisle told them that you and Bella were in a car accident," he said which made her nod. A car accident made sense – it would be far more believable than telling anyone what had _really_ happened. "That's the story we gave your mother, too," Jasper added, which made her eyes go wide.

 _Her mother!_

"You talked to my mom?" Jasper nodded in confirmation. "Where is she? Is she in Phoenix?"

"Not yet," Jasper said. "Seems she was having trouble getting a flight out yesterday. She was able to get on a flight around ten this morning, though," he said with a nod. "She'll be here in a few hours."

Danielle nodded slowly in understanding. Considering that she had spent the majority of the past twenty four hours believing she would never see or talk to her mother again, she was indescribably happy to know that they would soon be reunited. The moment Lynne appeared, Danielle was going up hug her for ten minutes straight and make sure she knew _exactly_ how much she loved her.

But then she remembered how furious her mother had been with her for leaving, which had her cringing. "How was she when you talked to her? Was she mad?"

Jasper raised his brows at her. "She certainly wasn't _pleased_ to hear from me. I was on the receiving end of a pretty lengthy, threat-filled berating. Carlisle got an earful, too," he revealed, which made her cringe and blush with embarrassment. Her mother berating _Carlisle_? God, that was mortifying. "Your mother seemed to be under the impression that you left Forks with _us_."

Danielle frowned guiltily. "Victoria made me write a note to my mom telling her I had left Forks," she said, not missing the way Jasper's expression darkened at the mention of the nomad. "Leaving with you and Carlisle to check on Bella was the most believable thing I could come up at the time."

Jasper made a sound of understanding. "I see."

Danielle heaved and shook her head, then decided she probably shouldn't move around much when even doing just that made her neck and head ache. "She's gonna kill me when she gets here," she murmured woefully.

"I don't think so," Jasper disagreed. "When I told her you were in the hospital, she forgot pretty quickly that she was supposed to be angry with you. She's really worried, darlin'. She must have called me fifty times for updates on your condition before she got on the plane to come here," he said. "I think she'll just be happy to see you awake and recovering."

"I hope so," Danielle sighed.

There was a beat of silence, where Danielle stared at the wall opposite her bed, preoccupied with thoughts of her mother and what might happen when she arrived, and where Jasper kept his eyes on her, his cool, strong fingers delicately tracing the bones of the hand that he held.

"Alice found a tape," Jasper said slowly, which made her look back to him. "When she and Emmett were disposing of James, she found the tape he made."

Danielle gulped, knowing exactly what James had filmed and knowing exactly what sort of impact it would have had on Jasper if he ever watched it. "Did you…watch it?" she asked.

Jasper nodded once. There was surge of emotions from him – fury, hostility, and hatred – as he seemed to take a moment to reflect on what he had seen. He reigned in his power quickly, though, and the air soon cleared of the negative aura. "It was the worst thing I have ever had to witness," he admitted. "You and Bella were both very brave, though. However," he continued, "for the sake of my own sanity, could you refrain from attacking vampires and threatening them with glass shards in the future?" he asked, referring to her attempts to fight back against James.

Danielle lifted her chin stubbornly. "Maybe it was a little stupid to try to fight back, yeah. But I couldn't do _nothing,_ Jasper. I couldn't just let him _win."_

Jasper sighed and shook his head. His expression was one of exasperation, but she could have sworn she also spied a hint of _pride_ in his amber colored eyes at the same time. "You were trying to help Bella and protect yourself. I can't blame you for that," he conceded. "Just...try not to make a habit of it, alright?" he asked, his tone verging on pleading.

Danielle sighed and nodded. "Alright," she agreed.

Jasper seemed satisfied with her response. He looked at her for a moment, then tilted his head questioningly. "Everything James said in the tape…is that what really happened?" he asked next.

Danielle nodded, sucked in a deep breath, then retold him everything that had happened from _her_ point of view. She explained how Victoria had been suspicious of her and gone searching for the answer as to what exactly she was. She told him about Victoria kidnapping her and taking her to James, who forced her to tell him about Bella being in Phoenix and Alice's visions of the future. Then she relayed her escape attempt and how James had caught her, before he took her to the Swan house to await the right moment to lure Bella away, forcing her to lie to Jasper every time he called so that they would not get suspicious. Danielle finally concluded the tale by recounting the conversation James had had with Bella while she had still be at the hotel, and how he had gotten Bella to leave the safety of their guard by threatening to kill her.

By the time she was done, Jasper was shaking his head gravely. He released her hand and stood from his chair, looking troubled as he raked a hand through his blonde her and began to pace the room. Danielle watched him go back and forth, frowning when she felt another wave of jumbled, negative emotions radiate off of him.

"Jazz?" she asked gently. "Talk to me," she urged.

Jasper looked at her, then heaved heavily. "I have never felt like a bigger fool in all my existence," he admitted. "I should have _known_ something was wrong. From the moment you didn't answer your phone when I tried to call you and tell you about James's plan changing, to all the times we spoke and I could _hear_ how upset you were. If I had just realized what was going on, I could have stopped _all_ of this from happening. I could have come for you sooner."

"Jasper, it's not your fault," she said reassuringly. "There's no way you could have known, not with James using Alice's powers _against_ us. He was tricky, just like Laurent warned us."

Jasper shook his head. "It _is_ my fault," he countered. "I should have never left you in Forks. I should have made you come with _us_."

"It was _my_ idea to stay, remember?" Danielle reminded him.

"But I went along with it, even though everything inside of me was _screaming_ that it was a bad idea," Jasper swiftly rebutted. "You could have _died_ , Danielle," he said, his voice going a bit rough. "We didn't know where you were, because James kept changing his mind. If we hadn't gone to Bella's house, if we hadn't caught your scent and followed it to the studio in time…" He trailed off and shook his head, his expression one of pain.

"But I _didn't_ die," Danielle countered just as quickly. "You and Edward found us. I'm still here – _Bella's_ still here – because of _you_."

"Exactly," Jasper said bitterly, clearly seeing things a little different than her. "You're here _because_ of me," he said, looking irritated and disgusted with himself.

Danielle's stomach clenched at his words, and her heart suddenly felt like it was being pressed down upon with a heavy stone. She didn't like the way Jasper was talking, nor the look on his face. She was suddenly worried as to what exactly might be going through his head, or _where_ this conversation might end up going.

"Jasper," she said cautiously. "You're not about to pull that whole annoyingly noble, ' _you'd be better and safer without me, so we should probably break up for you own good'_ act, are you?" she asked, thought she was suddenly terrified to know the answer.

Jasper froze as her words sunk in, before the tension in his shoulders eased and his expression softened. "No, darlin'. That's not what I'm doing. I'm just…still upset about all of this." While Danielle let out a breath of relief, Jasper walked over to her bed and sat down on the edge right next to her, taking her hand gently between his own and leaning down to kiss the top of it. "I'm sorry if I worried you. But like I told you back in Forks, now that this is over, I'm never letting you out of my sight again. And that's a promise I intend to keep," he said with a firm nod. "As long as you still want me around, I'm not going anywhere."

"Of _course_ I want you around," Danielle said without hesitation. "Don't you remember what I told you on the phone?" she asked next, referring to what she had been _sure_ had been their last goodbye, when she had told him that she had wanted to marry him and spend the rest of her life with him.

Something she couldn't quite place flashed through Jasper's eyes. "Yes. I remember," he said seriously.

"Good. Because I _meant it_ ," Danielle said firmly. "So don't even _think_ about running away, buddy. Or else you are going to be in _very_ big trouble."

Jasper's lips twitched with a ghost of a smile, though it was a sad one. "I don't think I could run away from you even if I wanted to," he said, which made her smile. He reached a hand to her face to trace the line of her jaw, a frown of guilt soon working its way back onto his face. "I'm so sorry for what happened," he said quietly, still evidently feeling some residual guilt. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you from him. Can you ever forgive me for all of this, darlin'?"

Danielle squeezed his hand, a lump momentarily taking up residence in her throat. "There's nothing to forgive, Jazz," she said. "I think…I think we _all_ made mistakes where James and Victoria were concerned. But they're gone now. It's over. All we can do now is move on and _learn_ from those mistakes," she concluded with a shrug.

Jasper lifted his brows uncertainly. "You aren't angry with me, then?"

Danielle scoffed. " _Angry_? Absolutely not," she said. "The only thing I am right now is _relieved_. I spent most of the past twenty four hours thinking I would never see you again, and guess what? That _sucked_." Danielle squeezed his hand tightly. "I'm just happy that I'm _with you_ ," she told him earnestly.

Jasper finally offered a small, genuine smile. The guilt that had been in his eyes slowly melted away, replaced by an unmistakable gleam of adoration as he lifted a hand to gently caress her cheek. Danielle instantly leaned into his touch. "I love you, Danielle," he said, his voice deeper with emotion. "I love you so much."

Danielle smiled and squeezed the hand that still held hers. "I love you, too, Jasper."

He smiled again, then leaned over to give her a soft, lingering kiss on her lips. Jasper kissing her always sent electricity through her veins, but right now, after everything that had happened, to have him kissing and touching her made her feel it twice as strong. Heat spread through her like wildfire and her heart began to pound against her ribs, which, in turn, had the heart monitor she was hooked up to beginning to beep far more rapidly than it had been before. She and Jasper broke away from each other to look at the machine, Jasper with a hint of amusement while Danielle's eyes had gone wide with mortification.

"Well… _that's_ embarrassing," Danielle said, her cheeks turning pink.

Jasper chuckled and took a moment to nuzzle his nose into her hair. "It's nothing I haven't heard before," he admitted. "I don't need a machine to hear the way your heart beats whenever I kiss you," he said, hinting that he had been able to pick up on similar reactions from her in the past with his super-human hearing.

Danielle flushed even brighter. "Even _more_ embarrassing," she muttered.

Jasper just chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I take it as a compliment."

A knock on the door interrupted their moment of privacy. A nurse walked in after that to do a routine checkup, looking pleased with the fact that Danielle was awake and coherent. Jasper slid off the bed and moved to the side to give the nurse some space to work, watching with a slightly protective gleam in his eye as she checked Danielle's stats, changed a few bandages, and asked her a series of questions. When she had finished with her check-up, she announced that lunch would be served soon, which had Danielle's stomach promptly growling. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the previous day, _before_ Victoria and James had kidnapped her. She was absolutely _starving_.

The nurse left after that, leaving the door open as she went. Jasper started like he was going to come and sit on the bed again, but he paused whenever something out in the hallway seemed to catch his attention. Danielle glanced that way, but couldn't see anything through the open door.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You have some visitors that have been waiting to talk to you," Jasper said.

She looked to the door again, watching as Emmett and Alice appeared. The two vampires lingered in the doorway, Alice fidgeting and looking uncertain, while Emmett stood behind her with his massive arms crossed over his chest, his expression guarded and difficult to read. Danielle smiled at the sight of her two friends, thought they didn't look quite as happy to see her as she might have thought. "Hey, guys," she greeted.

"Can we…come in?" Alice asked timidly.

Danielle frowned and shared a brief look with Jasper, who just raised his brows at her in return. "You don't need to ask," Danielle said, looking back to Alice and Emmett. "Of course you can come in."

The two vampires shuffled into the room, coming to a halt at the foot of her bed. Danielle couldn't help but noticed that they looked even more uncomfortable and reserved as they eyed the machines she was hooked up to, which was not common behavior for either one of them. It made Danielle frown with worry, not sure she knew what had gotten into them or why they were acting so oddly.

"How do you feel, Dani?" Alice asked to break the silence.

"I'm alright," Danielle said with a nod. "Better now that everything is over. And a _lot_ better thanks to these pain meds," she added with a joking smile and a pointed look toward the IV drip she was hooked up to.

It had been her attempt at easing the tension in the room, but it didn't appear to work. Alice was still wringing her hands together anxiously, and Emmett was still a stony, impenetrable statue behind her. Finally, when she seemed unable to contain herself a moment longer, Alice's expression turned to one of sadness, her eyes filled with tangible guilt as she rushed to Danielle's side and grabbed her hand, squeezing her fingers earnestly.

"I'm _so sorry_ , Dani," the vampire blurted out. "I feel like this is all _my_ fault. I couldn't see what James was doing. He was so good at hiding the truth. And Victoria! I saw her on the hunt and thought she was going after _Bella_. I didn't know she was going after _you_." Alice shook her head vigorously. "I made so many mistakes, Dani. And I'm so, _so_ sorry!"

Danielle shook her head, half in disbelief and half in exasperation at the fact that yet _another_ Cullen was trying to take the blame for her current condition. She glanced at Jasper, who didn't seem at all surprised by Alice's outburst, before turning a look on Alice.

"You don't have to apologize, Alice," Danielle said firmly. "I don't blame you for what happened. If anything, I feel like _I_ should be apologizing to _you._ I was the one who told James about your visions. I was the one who gave him the leverage he needed to make all of this happen," she said, her previous feelings of guilt and betrayal quickly resurfacing.

"He was _threatening_ you," Jasper reminded her, obviously picking up on the change in her mood. "You didn't have any other choice, darlin'. You did what you had to in order to stay alive. Nobody blames you for that," he insisted, which had Alice nodding vigorously in agreement.

Danielle smiled gratefully at his words, then looked back to Alice. "I'm not mad at you, Alice. I'm not mad at _anyone_ but James. He's the one to blame for all of this. Not anyone else."

Alice sighed with relief, then leaned over to hug her. The vampire was sure to be gentle, not squeezing her too tight so as not to put any pressure on any injures. Danielle happily hugged her back, smiling at the affectionate gesture. When Alice finally let her go and took a step back, Danielle turned her eyes over to Emmett, who had yet to contribute anything to the conversation. Given how guilty both Alice and Jasper had felt, she could only assume by the way that Emmett was acting that _he_ was feeling guilty about something to. She sighed and gave him a pointed look, raising her brows at her friend.

"Am I right in assuming that you think _you_ have something to apologize for, too?" she asked knowingly.

Emmett frowned and finally uncrossed his arms, shifting on his feet as he shoved his hand into the pockets of his jeans. "I let you down, Dani," he stated with a shrug of his shoulders. "You _and_ Jasper," he added with a pointed look toward his brother. "I gave my word that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, and I couldn't keep it. You still wound up _here_."

"You did the best you could, Em," Danielle said reassuringly. "We had no idea any of this would happen."

"It wasn't good enough," Emmett argued back with a shake of his head. "You're my best friend. I should've been there to protect you, but I wasn't. And I'm sorry for that," he said, looking between her and Jasper in a way that said that his apology was directed toward _both_ of them. "I hope you guys can forgive me, even though I don't deserve it," he added with self-loathing. "I'll find a way to make it right, I swear."

Danielle smiled at him. "You don't have to do that. You don't have to ask for forgiveness, either, because you didn't do anything wrong," she insisted.

Jasper nodded in agreement, but Emmett didn't seem to believe them. Danielle shared a look with Jasper again, then finally sighed and raised her brows at Emmett. "Alright, if you _really_ feel like you have something to make up for, then I know how you can make it right," she said.

Emmett stepped forward. "Name it," he said without hesitation. "I'll do anything."

Danielle smiled. "Stop pouting and come over here to give me a hug," she said with a meaningful look. She then held out her arms, only wincing a little when the movements aggravated a few minor injuries. "C'mon, Big Foot. Bring it in," she encouraged.

Emmett finally cracked a smile. Without hesitation, he moved closer and leaned over the bed to hug her, treating her with even more caution than Alice had. Danielle patted his rock hard back, squeezing him as tightly as her sore body would allow her to. When they finally parted, Emmett patted her gently on the top of her head before stepping backward to give her some space again.

"There. All better," she said, which just made Emmett huff and shake his head good naturedly.

Danielle relaxed against the mattress, smiling as her eyes bounced from Emmett, to Alice, then to Jasper. Talking to Jasper and her friends about everything made her feel as if a huge weight had lifted from her chest – the Cullen's did not blame her for telling James the things that she had, everyone who had felt the need to apologize had done so, and all four of them seemed equally willing to forgive any mistakes that had been made and move on, which was a massive relief.

Suddenly, Danielle began to feel tired again, despite how much sleep she had already gotten. Her body was simply still too weak and too exhausted from all of the events of the past day. Her weariness must have shown, because Jasper stepped closer and gave his siblings a look.

"Why don't you two come back to visit again later?" he suggested. "I think Danielle need to get some more rest."

Alice and Emmett nodded in agreement, then said their goodbyes and headed for the door, looking to be in much better spirits than they had been in when they had arrived. Danielle called out a tired goodbye, then turned her eyes back to Jasper as Emmett shut the door, granting them privacy.

"You're not leaving, too, right?" she asked with a small frown of worry.

Jasper shook his head. "Not a chance."

Danielle smiled, then did her best to scoot over and make some room for him before patting the spot on the bed that she had just made available. Jasper eased down onto the mattress next to her, resting comfortably against the pillows and being careful not to get too close to her heavily wrapped ankle as he stretched out his long legs. Once he was settled in, Danielle snuggled into his side, smiling as Jasper first pulled the blankets over her so that she would stay warm, then wrapped his arms protectively around her, making her feel safe and secure.

"Get some sleep, darlin'," he encouraged.

"You'll still be here when I wake up?" she asked, turning a pleading look up at him.

Jasper leaned down to brush his lips against hers. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Danielle smiled, nodded, then rested her head comfortably on his chest. In the back of her mind, she knew that there was still a lot that she and Jasper needed to talk about and that there were a lot of questions that needed answering, but she decided that _that_ conversation could wait for another time. At the moment, she was too happy to have it in her to worry about anything else. She was alive. _Bella_ was alive. James was dead. She was with Jasper again, and in a few short hours she would be reunited with her mother, too. It was all that she had hoped for and more, but had been convinced would not happen while she had still been James's prisoner.

For once, she was _glad_ that she had been wrong.

She and Bella probably still a long road to full recovery ahead of them, but everything had turned out far better than had thought it would. And as Danielle drifted off to sleep in Jasper's arms, she felt comforted and content. Because now the dust from the storm of chaos that James and Victoria had brought into their lives was beginning to settle, and for the first time in several days, Danielle finally felt like everything was going to be okay.

* * *

 **The next chapter will be the last chapter of part one! Hope you guys enjoyed the update!**


	20. Chapter Nineteen

**Author's note at the end!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OCs!**

* * *

 _Chapter Nineteen_

A week and a half later, Danielle found herself experiencing a strong sense of déjà vu – she was sitting in the passenger's seat of her mother's car, watching the green, damp scenery jump past her window as they drove to Forks, Washington, just as she had done nearly four months previous when they had first moved to the tiny, rainy town.

There were three significant changes this time around, however. The first was that she had a big, bulky cast around the lower half of her left leg, which she certainly had not had when they moved in January. The second was that, unlike the first time, she _wasn't_ completely dreading reaching Forks. The third – and perhaps the _most_ important change of all – was that there was a _third_ passenger in the car this time around. Jasper, the vampire she had fallen head over heels in love with, was sitting quietly in the backseat.

Danielle turned her eyes away from the scenery to glance back at him, giving him a smile when he felt her watching him and shifted his gaze to hers. He smiled back, and for a moment they merely stared at one another with adoration and contentment. When she felt eyes on her, however, she glanced at her mother, who looked at her for a moment, before quirking a brow at Jasper through the rearview mirror. Danielle cleared her throat, shot Jasper one last look, then turned her eyes back to the window.

It had been a very _interesting_ week and half, that much was for sure.

As Jasper had predicted, any anger her mother had felt over her leaving Forks without her permission seemed to have been forgotten by the time she had arrived at the hospital. The moment Lynne had walked into the hospital room and seen Danielle lying there in the bed, covered in bruises and bandages and looking downright haggard, she had burst into tears and rushed forward to crush her in a hug. The berating Danielle had anticipated had never come. Instead, Lynne had hugged her and kissed her and told her over and over again how relieved she was that Danielle was alright and how much she loved her. And though she had still been in a lot of pain, Danielle had hugged her mother just as fiercely in return, unable to stop herself from crying tears of happiness at being with her again.

Her surgery had taken place the day after her mother arrived, and, thankfully, it had gone smoothly. Once the damage that James had done had been repaired, the doctors had fitted her with the bulky cast she was sporting now and informed her that it would have to stay on for at least two to three months. From there, she would be downgraded to a walking boot and, eventually, would need to start doing physical therapy to strengthen her ankle back up. The doctor, unfortunately, had told Danielle that she didn't think her ankle would ever quite go back to being as it was prior to the injury, but with a little time and little work, it would at least be functional again.

The rest of her stay was rather uneventful. While she recovered from her injuries and waited for the doctor's permission to be discharged, she remained confined to her bed, watching loads of trashy daytime television and trying not to die of complete and utter boredom. Thankfully, she had had good company with her, otherwise she would have gone stir crazy. Lynne was at the hospital every single day, only leaving whenever she needed to go back to the hotel to shower or to sleep. Danielle had gotten to meet and chat several times with Renee Swan, who had rushed back to Phoenix to be by Bella's side. Jasper, of course, had remained a near permanent fixture by Danielle's bedside after flat out _refusing_ to go anywhere while she was still in the hospital. Carlisle and Edward had stayed behind, as well – Carlisle had been playing the part of the parent chaperoning his adoptive sons, while Edward had been determined to stay in Phoenix until Bella finally regained consciousness. Carlisle had visited her room at least twice a day, while Edward only popped in once to let her know he was happy she was alright before going back to Bella's bedside, where he remained day in and day out.

The worst part of her stay wasn't the lingering pain she felt or even the crummy hospital food she was forced to eat. No, the worst part ended up being the sudden dislike that her mother appeared to have formed for Jasper and his family.

Lynne had taken the anger she had originally felt toward Danielle and decided to direct it at the Cullen's instead, not so subtly hinting more than once that she blamed _them_ for Danielle and Bella ending up in the hospital. According to her, it was Edward's fault that Bella had come to Phoenix in the first place, which had then resulted in Danielle following after them and, inevitably, led to their _'car accident_ '. As far as Jasper and Carlisle were concerned, Lynne was angry with them for agreeing to take Danielle to Phoenix instead of talking her out of it, as they should have done in _her_ mind. It was unfair of her to be angry with them, of course. The Cullen's _hadn't_ taken her to Phoenix, and the fact of the matter was that if it wasn't for them, she and Bella would both undoubtedly be dead. But Carlisle had told her that Lynne knowing the truth was simply _not_ an option, so there was nothing to be done about it. All Danielle could do now was try to smooth things over between Lynne and the Cullen's and hope that her mother didn't decide to hold a permanent grudge against them.

On the flip side, the absolute _best_ thing to happen during her stay in the hospital was when Bella _finally_ woke up. Between her numerous, serious injuries and the alarming amount of blood she had lost, it had taken several days for Bella to regain consciousness. Danielle had given her friend some space at first so that she could have her time with Renee and Edward, who had been so worried that they had rarely left Bella's room. But eventually she had reached her breaking point, and with Jasper's help, she had gone to visit her friend in her room. Once she and Bella were reunited and saw with their own eyes that the other was alright, there was a lot of hugging and a lot of crying, but also a lot of smiling and an enormous, shared sense of relief.

The rest of the days had passed quickly after that. The majority of the time had been spent in bed, though she had visited Bella as often as possible and even convinced Jasper to wheel her around the hospital in a wheelchair a few times when she couldn't stand being confined to bed any longer – any attempt to prod him into using his vampire speed to wheel her around _extra_ fast, however, had earned her a hard look of disapproval from him and a firm, resounding _no_. She talked to Tom a few times, too, though she felt horrible when she first told him where she was – the poor guy had nearly had a heart attack when he found out she was in the hospital, and it had taken a _lot_ to convince him _not_ to jump on the first plane he could catch to Phoenix to come see her.

Finally, _mercifully_ , she had gotten discharged from the hospital, and though she had felt a little guilty leaving Bella behind to be monitored a few extra days, she was so excited to go home that she couldn't find it in herself to be too upset. With Carlisle's help, they were able to get a flight back to Forks with no hassle at all, and he even paid for their tickets as a gesture of peace toward her mother. Jasper had flown back with them, which Lynne had not been overly pleased about. She had stopped putting up a fight, however, and agreed to let Jasper tag along with them after Danielle, firstly, told her mother she was sick of her being unkind to Jasper, and, secondly, reminded her that Carlisle was being exceedingly generous by helping them out.

So here they were now, back in Washington and steadily making their way back to Forks. It had been an awkward journey home – her cast and injuries had made sitting on a plane even more uncomfortable than it normally was, and her mother's passive aggressive attitude toward Jasper had been especially annoying – but she would soon be home, and that thought alone was enough to have her in good spirits. She had done more moving around today than she had the entire time she had been in the hospital, and it was definitely starting to catch up to her. Danielle couldn't wait to be back in her _own_ home, sleeping her _own_ bed.

By the time they were pulling into the driveway, it was mid afternoon. Esme was there to greet them, waiting patiently by yet another flashy Cullen car under the pretense of picking Jasper up. Danielle knew he would have been perfectly fine just running home, but it would have looked odd to Lynne if he had gone disappearing into the wilderness, so he had called Esme to come and get him instead.

Danielle smiled and waved at Esme as Jasper opened the passenger side door and helped her out of the car. Once she was balanced precariously on her good foot, Esme immediately moved in to hug her tightly.

"I'm so glad you're alright," she said in Danielle's ear. "I've been _so_ worried about you and Bella."

"Thank you, Esme. And you don't need to worry anymore. We're both fine, thanks to Jasper and Edward," she said, keeping her voice down so her mother wouldn't overhear.

Esme nodded, then released her and stepped back as Lynne came around the car to join them, travelling bag in hand. Danielle cleared her throat and gestured to Esme. "Mom, I don't think you've met Jasper's mother yet. This is Esme Cullen. Esme, this is my mom, Lynne," she then introduced.

Esme moved to shake Lynne's hand, smiling warmly. "A pleasure to finally meet you. Dani has told me so many wonderful things about you," she said.

Danielle watched as her mother couldn't seem to hold back a smile. As determined as she had been to hold a grudge against the Cullen men, it looked as though she couldn't quite seem to extend that grudge toward Esme, too. "It's nice to meet you, too. I've also heard very good things about you," she replied in a friendly tone.

Esme nodded, then looked at Jasper, who was keeping Danielle steady with an arm around her waist. "Thank you for bringing my son home safely. I greatly appreciate it."

Lynne nodded. "Of course."

Esme glanced Lynne, then looked back to Jasper. "Why don't you help Dani inside?" she suggested gently, her easy smile never faltering. "I'd like to speak with Lynne in private, if she doesn't mind me taking up a few minutes of her time," she added, directing the latter part of her statement toward Lynne.

Danielle and Jasper both raised their brows in surprise, before looking to Lynne. She seemed surprised, too, but nodded in agreement. "Of course."

Lynne passed her keys to Danielle and nodded for them to go into the house. Without further ado, Jasper gently picked Danielle up bridal style and carried her inside, leaving Lynne and Esme alone in the driveway.

"What are they talking about?" Danielle asked Jasper as he carried her through the front door and down the front hallway, heading toward the stairs that led to the second floor.

"It sounds like Esme is trying to smooth things over with your mother," he said with a nod. "I guess Carlisle called her and told her your mother was unhappy with us."

Danielle nodded in understanding. "I hope it works," she said, feeling optimistic. If there was anyone she thought might possess the capability to make things right again, it was definitely the sweet and level-headed Esme.

Jasper carried her straight to her bedroom, then deposited her gently on her bed. After grabbing a few pillows for her to prop her ankle up on, he straightened up and glanced around with interest, surveying her – _mostly_ – tidy room. It was the first time he had been there, she realized with a smile, seeing as he had always insisted it was improper, and _far_ too tempting, to be alone with her in her room any other time she had tried to invite him in.

"Lookee here. I _finally_ got you to come into my room," she said with a smirk. "The southern gentleman breaks his own rules. This is a milestone moment," she joked.

Jasper quirked a brow at her as he sat down on the edge of her bed. "Technically we're not alone, considering both our mothers are right outside your window," he corrected. "And your injuries will certainly keep me from giving in to any _temptations_ ," he added with a pointed look. "So the rules are still mostly intact, thank you."

Danielle sighed and rolled her eyes playfully. "Alright, alright. Spoil sport," she muttered.

Jasper smiled, then reached for her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. "Can I get you anything?" he asked helpfully.

Danielle sighed and shook her head. "No, I'm alright. I think I'm just gonna take a nap after you and Esme leave. I'm feeling pretty beat after all this travelling."

"Probably a good idea," Jasper agreed with a nod. He glanced toward the door for a moment, then stood from the bed. "Your mother is coming inside," he said. "I'm going to go. I don't want to keep you from your rest _or_ keep Esme waiting."

"Alright," Danielle said, though she couldn't help feeling sad that he was leaving already.

Jasper leaned over to press a lingering kiss to her lips. "Call if you need anything, alright?" After Danielle nodded in agreement, he kissed her one more time before smiling and shooting a quick wink. "I'll see you soon. I promise."

"Okay."

Jasper straightened up again just as Lynne appeared in the doorway. "All settled in?" she asked, glancing between the two of then.

"Snug as a bug in a rug," Danielle confirmed with a nod.

Lynne smiled, then turned her attention to Jasper. She stared at him for a moment, then sighed with what sounded like resignation. "Thank you, Jasper. I know I haven't said it, but…you've been a really big help."

Jasper seemed pleasantly surprised with her praise. "You're welcome, Ms. Clark. I was happy to help."

Lynne nodded, then offered an apologetic smile. "Also, I'm sorry if I haven't been the _friendliest_ person toward you and your family lately," she said next. "All of this has just been very… _stressful_."

Jasper smiled reassuringly. "You don't have to apologize. I understand completely."

"Good," Lynne said. Danielle grinned, happy to hear that Esme had evidently gotten through to her mother. But then Lynne quirked a brow and pointed a threatening finger at Jasper, which had Danielle frowning with uncertainty. "That being said, if you _ever_ just disappear with my daughter again, _nobody_ will be able to protect you from my wrath, you got that?" she warned sternly.

Jasper nodded at once. "Understood."

Lynne nodded back, then finally stepped out of the way of the door. Jasper took that as his cue to leave. After saying goodbye one last time to both her and her mother, he left the room and went to rejoin Esme so they could go home. Once Danielle and Lynne were alone, she gave her mother a look.

" _Very_ nice, mom," she commented dryly.

Lynne shrugged unremorsefully. "I'm not sorry," she said bluntly. Danielle just rolled her eyes. "Alright, you're under strict orders to get some rest," Lynne said to change the subject, moving closer to the bed so that she could fluff the pillows behind Danielle's back. "I'm gonna go check in on Charlie real quick, then I'm gonna make us some lunch. Any special requests?"

Danielle smiled and shook her head. "Nope. Anything you wanna make is fine with me."

"Alrighty," Lynne said. She went quiet for a moment, sighing as she reached out to tuck one of Danielle's red curls behind her ear. "I'm happy to have you home, sweetie. And I'm so glad you're doing better," she said with an earnest nod.

"Me too," Danielle said. She then raised her eyebrows hopefully. "Does this mean you forgive me and that you _won't_ ground me for my natural born life?" she asked.

Lynne cocked an eyebrow. "I forgive you, yes, but you're _definitely_ still grounded, young lady," she stated matter-of-factly.

Danielle clicked her tongue with disappointment. "Dangit. It was worth a shot."

Lynne smirked, then leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "I'll be back soon. Try not to run off while I'm gone," she quipped smartly.

"Hardy har har," Danielle commented back sarcastically.

Lynne laughed at her reaction, then headed for the door. Before leaving, however, she cast one last look at Danielle over her shoulder. "I love you, sweetie," she said, her tone and expression much more serious now.

Danielle smiled back warmly. "Love you, too, mom."

Lynne departed after that, leaving Danielle alone in her room. She stared at the space her mother had just occupied, then glanced around her room, smiling to herself as she took in the familiar surroundings.

It was good to be home.

* * *

It was a quiet night in the Clark household. Danielle took a nap after lunch, only waking again when Lynne came back upstairs with dinner around seven thirty. From there the two of them hung out in Danielle's room, turning on some music for background noise while they spent the next few hours just talking to each other. When it became obvious that Lynne was fighting a losing battle against exhaustion, they decided to call it a night. After working together to get Danielle changed into some comfier clothes and ready for bed – which was an adventure in and of itself – Lynne helped her back into bed, kissed her hair, then headed downstairs to get some sleep.

Not ten minutes after Lynne left, there was a knock on Danielle's window. She quickly looked up from the book she had been reading, her shoulders tensing at the unexpected noise, before smiling and relaxing again when she realized it was only Jasper. He smiled back and quietly opened the window, climbing through it easily before shutting it again.

"Well _hey_ there," she greeted happily, closing her book and setting it on her nightstand. When he had said he would see her soon, she had thought he had meant that he would come by the next day. She hadn't realized he had intended to come back that same night. Danielle certainly wasn't going to complain about his quick return, though.

"Hello, darlin'," he said, walking over to her bedside and kissing her forehead.

She grinned up at him as he pulled back, one eyebrow lifting higher than the other. "Jasper Whitlock Hale," she said, flashing a sly smile. "First you came into my room without supervision, and now you're sneaking in after hours? You _rebel_ , you. What do you have to say for yourself?" she asked teasingly.

Jasper smirked down at her. "I missed you too much to stay away," he said with a shrug. "Besides, after everything that's happened, I think I've earned the right to smother you a bit."

"Hey, you don't have to convince _me_. I won't ever complain about you being around. So smother away, babe," she said with a nod of permission.

Jasper gave her a lopsided smile, then motioned toward the bed questioningly. Danielle nodded at once, and after a bit of fancy maneuvering, Jasper had joined her on the bed, his back resting against the headboard and his long legs stretched out in front of him, while Danielle was happily snuggled into his side. He smelled of pine and rainwater and there was a bit more color in his cheeks, which led her to believe that he had gone for a quick hunt while he had been gone.

"Happy to be home?" he asked conversationally.

Danielle nodded. " _So_ happy," she readily confessed. "I never thought I'd say this, but I actually _missed_ Forks."

"Maybe this town has finally won you over," Jasper commented.

Danielle shrugged. "Maybe. Or, maybe, it's just the people _in_ Forks that won me over," she corrected, giving him a meaningful look.

Jasper smiled at that, his hold on her tightening a fraction. "Would I happen to be one of them?" he asked, though the look in his eye clearly stated he already knew the answer.

Danielle, however, couldn't resist teasing him. "Actually, I was referring to Emmett," she said bluntly.

Jasper looked shocked for a second, which instantly made her laugh. When he realized she was just messing with him, he growled playfully and poked her gently in the side, one brow lifting upward. "If you weren't recovering from injuries, you'd be on the receiving end of some merciless tickling for that," he grumbled, though he didn't seem as if he was _really_ mad about it.

Danielle giggled and pressed closer, stretching forward to press a quick kiss to his jaw. "I'm only kidding. You _know_ you're the most important person in the world to me. Nobody even comes _close_ to comparing to you, Jazz."

The scowl of disapproval that had been on his lips shifted into a smirk of satisfaction. "Not even Big Foot?" he asked.

Danielle scoffed. "Puh-lease. Em's great and all, but he doesn't hold a candle to you."

Jasper seemed pleased. "Good to know."

A comfortable silence passed between them after that. If she had thought being home and being in her own room was nice, being there with _Jasper_ was even better. Though he had been by her hospital bed for the majority of the time she had been admitted, between her mother's near constant presence, the steady coming and going of doctors and nurses, and the sporadic visits from Carlisle, they hadn't really had any private time together. It was nice to just be _alone_ with him. And since it seemed he wasn't so opposed to sneaking into her room anymore, she found herself hoping late night visits like this would become a common occurrence.

Danielle grabbed the hand he had been resting on her waist, fiddling with his fingers and marveling at the size difference in their hands.

"Have you talked to Edward or Carlisle?" she asked to finally break the silence. "I tried calling Bella earlier, but I couldn't get through. I wanted to know how she was holding up."

"I spoke with Carlisle," Jasper told her. "Bella's doing fine. They think she'll be able to come back sometime next week."

"That's good," Danielle said with a nod. "I'm sure she's ready to come home and put all of this behind her."

"I think we're _all_ ready to put all of this behind us," Jasper countered matter-of-factly.

Danielle nodded again in agreement. She certainly couldn't wait to forget all about James and the hell he had put her through. Unfortunately, she had a feeling that would be easier said than done in the end. It had been a traumatic experience, and she had a feeling it would take a long time to get over everything that James had done…assuming, of course, she ever _was_ able to get over it completely.

Suddenly, she remembered something James had said to her about Jasper, something she had not yet asked him about because they hadn't had the privacy for her to do so. She turned her eyes up to her boyfriend, her brows creasing as she stared long and hard at his perfect, pale skin. Even now, staring as hard as she could, she couldn't see any scars on him. Where were they? Were they really there? Or had James lied to her about it just to mess with her head?

Jasper lifted a questioning brow when he noticed her scrutiny. "Something on your mind, darlin'?"

"Actually, yes," she said. "James said something to me about you," she continued, not missing the way Jasper's expression darkened when she said the nomad's name. "He pointed out something about you that had me confused," she said with caution, unsure how Jasper might react to the topic they were about to breech.

"And what was that?" he asked.

"He told me that you have a lot of scars, but I've never noticed any," Danielle said. "Is it true?"

Jasper stared back at for a moment, then sighed and slowly nodded. "It _is_ true," he confirmed.

Danielle frowned. "How did you get them?" she asked.

Jasper hesitated before answering, looking conflicted. "It's a long story," he finally said. "They come from that tumultuous past I mentioned."

Yes, he had _mentioned_ it, but he hadn't actually gone into _detail_ about it. It was a subject that Jasper clearly was not overly comfortable discussing, and because of that, Danielle had never pressed the issue. But now, after everything that had happened, she felt like she _needed_ to know. The time had come for Jasper to open up to her about the things that he had been through before they had met.

"I think we're past the point of keeping secrets from each other, don't you?" she said gently. When Jasper just frowned, she entwined her fingers with his and squeezed his hand encouragingly. "You can trust me. Tell me, Jasper. I won't think any differently of you."

"You don't know that. You haven't heard the story yet," he grumbled back pessimistically.

Danielle, however, wasn't going to be deterred. "Nothing you could say would make me stop loving you," she said firmly. "So tell me. I want to know.

Jasper hesitated again, before finally sighing with resignation. "Alright," he agreed. "I suppose I should start from the beginning then."

Jasper cleared his throat, then began to speak. "I was in the army, as I've told you already. I was young, only seventeen when I joined, but I moved up very quickly in ranks because I was good at getting people to listen to me and everyone seemed to like hearing what I had to say. I was told I was very _'charismatic'_."

"I had worked my way up to being a Major by the first battle of Galveston, and when the Union's mortar boats reach the harbor I was placed in charge with evacuating the woman and the children. Once they were all prepared, I left with the first round of civilians to move them to Houston," he said. "We reached the city by nightfall, but I only stayed long enough so that I could ensure all the party members were safely situated. Once they were, I got a fresh horse and headed back to Galveston so that I could move the next group. I was only a mile outside of the city, however, when I ran into the vampire that would turn me."

Jasper paused, his eyes moving to stare unseeingly at the wall, clearly lost to his own memories. "I remember everything about that night. There were three of them. I thought that they might have been stragglers from the group I had just moved, so I decided to help them. When I got close, though, I knew there was something… _different_ …about them. The way they looked at me, the way they _spoke_ of me…it didn't take long for me to realize there was something dangerous about them, yet I seemed unable to walk away. The one that was in charge, Maria, finally came toward me. She asked me my name and told me she hoped I would survive. Then she came very close, like she was going to kiss me…"

Jasper paused, his lips pressing together tightly. Danielle squeezed his hand comfortingly. "Go on," she whispered.

Jasper looked over at her, his brows furrowed together. "Then she bit me. She _turned_ me _,"_ he continued. "Once I was a vampire, she kept me close by. The south had been riddled with war for centuries. Maria was building an army to reclaim her territory, turning soldiers in the hope that it would help her rise to power faster. My skill in combat and my ability to control emotions served her well, and I became her second in command. I trained her soldiers to be vicious killers. We were a strong army, a powerful army. But there was always an enemy nearby that wanted to overthrow Maria and take her territory. There was a lot of fighting. A lot of intense, brutal battles. _That_ is where my scars come from. From decades of living a life plagued by war."

Danielle had to take a moment to process everything Jasper had told her. She felt sad for him, because he been turned against his will, robbed cruelly of his human life, and subjected to a life of violence that he had never asked for. She also felt _hatred_ for the vampire Maria, who had put Jasper through so much. At the same time, however, there was a part of her that was indescribably relieved and happy that Jasper had been able to escape all of that. She didn't like the thought of him fighting, or of other vampires trying their hardest to kill him.

"I warned you it wasn't a happy story," Jasper said with a wry smile.

Danielle nodded slowly. "Where are the scars?" she asked

"All over," he answered.

"Is there a way for me to be able to see them?" she inquired next.

Jasper glanced at her bedside lamp, then gently unwound his arms from around her. He pushed the sleeve of his shirt up to his elbow, brought the lamp as close as the cord would allow, then cast the light down on his arm at a certain angle. Danielle leaned closer and squinted, until she finally was able to see a faint bite mark on his forearm. She made a sound of wonderment, then gently touched the scar. She was surprised to feel raised skin beneath her fingertips, not much too different from what braille felt like.

Danielle looked up at him, noticing the vulnerability in his eyes and the way he had tensed at her touch. "Does it hurt?" she asked, worried the scar was sensitive and that she might have caused him discomfort by touching it.

"No," he said. "I was thinking how _wonderful_ your touch feels, actually," he admitted with a flicker of a smile. Danielle smiled back, then lifted his arm to her lips so that she could press a lingering kiss to the scar. The moment her lips touched his skin, he hummed low in his throat. "Careful, darlin'," he warned, his voice huskier than normal. "I've gotten better with my self-control, but you keep _that_ up and I can't promise I'll be able to behave myself."

Danielle flushed, but still smiled with satisfaction at knowing she had such a strong effect on him. "Sorry," she said, releasing her hold on his arm.

Jasper set her lamp back in its place, then slid his arms around her once more, making himself comfortable again. "How many scars do you have?" she asked, getting back to their conversation.

"Dozens," he answered. He looked down at her then, one brow raising higher than the other. "They don't bother you?" he asked uncertainly.

"The scars _themselves_ don't bother me," she said. "It's the way you _got_ them that bothers me." Danielle frowned, her thoughts turning back to Maria. "What happened to her?" she asked. "To Maria?"

"I don't know what happened to her after I left," Jasper said with a shrug. "I don't _care_ what happened, either. She was…toxic. She was _evil_. She used me like her _puppet_ ," he said with bitterness.

Danielle frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Jasper sighed and shook his head. "Her army was primarily made up of newborn vampires. Our kind are at our strongest when we first turn, because our human blood is still in our body and tissues," he explained. "Maria would keep her soldiers for as long as they were at their strongest…but once that strength was gone, she would dispose of them and replace them with others," Jasper gave her a wry smile. "Guess who's _privilege_ it was to get rid of the soldiers she no longer wanted."

Danielle gasped with horror as she realized it was _him_ who had been forced to kill the unwanted soldiers. "Oh, Jazz…" she said sympathetically.

He shook his head, a deep frown pulling at his mouth. "It was awful, darlin'," he said quietly. "I could feel _everything_ they felt. All the confusion. All the _fear._ But I didn't know better. I didn't know there was another way. So I went along with it for _years_." Jasper sighed heavily. "Eventually I couldn't take it any longer. I decided enough was enough. I left. Then I found Alice and, well…you know the rest."

Danielle gripped his hand tightly, her lips pressing together for a moment as she contemplated whether or not she should ask her next question. Finally, she decided to just come out without. "Did you…did you love her?"

Jasper gave her a look. "I _thought_ I did," he admitted. "I thought what we had was _real_. But I know now that it wasn't. I didn't know what real, _true_ love was until I met _you_ , Danielle," he said, and she knew he was telling the truth.

Danielle smiled and reached up to brush her fingers through his soft, blonde hair. "I know what you mean," she said, thinking of how easy it had been for her to fall in love with Jasper, how _right_ it felt to be with him. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. I'm sorry you had to live through that. But…thank you for finally telling me."

"You're not afraid, knowing how I used to be?" he asked with caution.

Danielle shook her head. "Never. Your life in the past was hard, but it helped make you into the vampire you are today. And I _love_ you, Jasper. I love you for everything you were, are, or ever will be," she promised.

The tension that had been in his shoulders the entire time he was revealing his past disappeared instantly. He leaned closer, his eyes dark as he wrapped a hand around the back of her neck. "I love you, too," he murmured, before capturing her lips in a kiss.

Danielle made a sound of approval low in her throat as she leaned into him, heat shooting through her veins as Jasper kissed her slowly and thoroughly. When the need for air became too great to ignore, she pulled her lips from his, gasping for air. He pressed his forehead to hers, his fingers toying with her hair as he let her catch her breath. After a few moments he pressed his lips to hers again, giving her one last long kiss, before pulling far enough away to look at her, his eyes burning with intensity.

"Danielle…there's something I have been wanting to discuss with you. Something I have been thinking about since Phoenix," he said.

"What's that?" she asked, her mind still struggling to form coherent thoughts after that mind-numbing kisses.

"You said you wanted to be with me for the rest of your life," he reminded her. "You said you wanted to _marry me_."

Danielle suddenly gulped, her stomach jolting with a combination of nervousness and excitement. "Yes," she confirmed. "I did."

Jasper stared back at her intently. "I want those things as well, darlin'," he confessed.

Her heart felt like it might explode out of her chest. Was she dreaming, or had Jasper _actually_ just said he wanted to marry her? "Really?" she asked, a huge grin breaking out across her face.

Jasper gave her a lopsided smiled. "Yes," he confirmed without hesitation. "I know we haven't known each other long. And I know we haven't been _together_ for long, either. But it's the truth, darlin'. You are the only one for me."

Danielle couldn't wipe the grin from her face. "And you're the only one for _me_ ," she quickly agreed, which had him smiling widely. "Who cares if we haven't been together that long? Who said there's a set timeline we have to follow?" she continued. "What we have is _real_ , and that's all that matters."

Jasper nodded. "Yes, it is," he agreed. He paused for a moment, before the smile faded from his lips and his expression turned very serious again. "The reason I've brought this up is because if our relationship is going where I _believe_ it is, then there is a very important discussion we should probably have."

"And what discussion is that?" Danielle asked.

Jasper hesitated, then came out with it. "Whether or not you will want to become one of us."

Danielle blinked in surprise. "You mean…become a _vampire_?" she asked.

Jasper nodded. "Yes."

Danielle couldn't hide her shock. Realistically, she probably should have expected they would talk about this at some point – in a way, it was a little surprising that they hadn't talked about it _sooner_. She turned her gaze elsewhere, her mind racing as she considered what Jasper had just said. Bella had asked her once before it she would ever become a vampire, but Danielle hadn't had an answer. Now, as she rolled the question around in her head again, she realized that she _still_ didn't have an answer. On the one hand, being a vampire meant she would be with Jasper for _ever_ , which sounded like an amazing deal. She loved him and he made her happy – the thought of being with him and getting to feel this way forever was a _wonderful_ one. On the other hand, however, living forever was not the natural way of things. By giving up her mortality, she would be giving up a lot of _other_ things as well. Things she wasn't sure she was ready to say goodbye to just yet.

"You don't have to decide right now," Jasper said, pulling her attention back to him. "But it _is_ something we should talk about."

"I agree," Danielle said, before shooting him a questioning look. "What do _you_ want, Jasper?"

He shook his head in response. "It isn't about what _I_ want," he said. "It's about what _you_ want."

"I think it's a decision we should make together. As a _team_ ," she countered. "So tell me – what are _your_ feelings on me becoming a vampire?"

Jasper hesitated before answering. "Honestly? I'm not sure," he admitted. "Being a vampire is… _difficult_. You wouldn't be like us when you change. You would have to _learn_ how to be like us. And trust me, it is _not_ an easy lesson," he warned. "You'd be giving up a lot more than just your mortality, as well. And the transformation? I won't lie to you, darlin' – its _excruciating._ You saw what Bella was going through after James bit her. You'd have to suffer through that for three days." Jasper frowned and shook his head. "I don't like the thought of you going through that. Not one single bit."

Danielle took a moment to process his words, before squeezing his hand. "But…?" she prompted, knowing he had more thoughts on the matter.

Jasper looked at her. "But the selfish part of me _wants_ you to be one of us, despite all of that," he said honestly. "Firstly, if you were one of _us,_ what happened with James wouldn't happen again, which is certainly preferable," he said pointedly. "But, more importantly, we would be free to love each other exactly as we want to, without any fear and without restraint. We could be together for as long as this world exists." Jasper sighed, then raised her hand to his lips, brushing a kiss to her knuckles. "All that being said, I love you exactly as you are, and I would be honored to have you by my side just like this. But know that it would also make me _equally_ as happy to have you with me for all eternity."

Danielle sighed and nodded slowly. Jasper had made some very good points – she _would_ be giving up a lot if she decided she wanted to be a vampire, and she didn't doubt he was telling the truth when he said that their lifestyle was challenging. But she very much liked the sound of being able to be with Jasper forever, _without_ having to always be so cautious or worry about something trivial getting in the way of their love. Could she really do it though? Once she was turned, there was no going back. Was she ready to say goodbye to life as she knew it? Was she brave enough to completely change everything and walk this world as a vampire? Was that what she really wanted?

She honestly didn't know.

"I'm not sure _what_ I want to do, Jazz," she admitted. "There's a lot of pros and cons to both options, but…I'm just not sure what the answer is yet. It's a really big decision to make." Danielle paused for a moment, then turned a curious look on him. "What has Alice seen in my future?" she asked suddenly. "What were the visions she had about me that you didn't want to discuss before?"

Jasper seemed reluctant to answer. "She…saw you with me. As one of _us_ ," he revealed. So Alice _had_ seen her as a vampire – Danielle couldn't decide if the knowledge of that excited her, or _terrified_ her. "But you already know her visions are subject to change," Jasper added quickly. "Just because she's seen it does not necessarily mean that it will come to pass. You can still decide _not_ to be turned."

Danielle nodded in understanding. "Of course," she said. She took another few moments to think about everything that had been said, before giving him a small shrug. "I think I just need some time to think it all through," she finally said. "It's…a lot to take in."

Jasper nodded understandingly. "Like I said, you don't have to decide anything right now," he reiterated. "Take all the time you need. There's no rush." He gently pulled his hand from her grasp and lifted it to her face, his fingers tracing her jawline. "But just so you know, darlin', I will accept whatever decision you come to. It doesn't matter whether you are human or not. As long as we're together, I'm happy."

Danielle smiled, her heart soaring at his words. She could not resist leaning up to kiss him, telling him through actions just how much she loved him.

Jasper stayed with her the rest of the night. They moved on to more lighthearted conversations after that, talking quietly with one another into the wee hours of the morning as they lay snuggled together. But the serious things they had talked about were never from Danielle's mind, nor did she think they were far from Jasper's. It would be a difficult decision to make, choosing between continuing her life as a human or starting anew as a vampire. But as she finally fell asleep, wrapped up in the arms of the vampire she loved, she knew that no matter her decision, she would still be winning in the end. Because no matter what, Jasper would be with her. And at the end of the day, that was all she really needed.

* * *

 _June_

Danielle adjusted the graduation cap on top of her head, before scowling with displeasure at her reflection. Why, of _all_ the colors they could have chosen from, had Forks high decided to go with _mustard yellow_ as one of their primary school colors? She had complained about the color to her friends at school, who had promptly corrected her and said the color was _gold_ , not yellow. But as she stared at herself in the mirror and cringed at the way her graduation robes clashed against her hair and skin tone, she decided everyone else was wrong. The color was _yellow_ , and whoever had picked it was downright cruel.

"Dani! Come on! We're gonna be late!" Lynne called from the front hall.

Danielle fiddled with her cap for a second longer, then finally turned to exit the bathroom. With her ugly graduation gown flowing around her, she carefully made her way downstairs, being careful not to move too quickly. Carlisle, who had taken over as her attending physician since Phoenix, had only _just_ taken off her cast and switched her to a walking boot two days before – she was still getting used to moving around in the new cast and didn't want to wind up hurting herself because she overdid anything.

Once she was downstairs, she was greeted with the sight of her mother, who was wearing a nice dress and heels and currently making sure her purse had everything she needed. Lynne looked up when Danielle walked in, before smiling widely and pressing a hand to her mouth, her eyes quickly filling with tears. "Oh, sweetie!" she said, rushing over to hug her. "I can't believe I'm seeing you in a graduation gown! I'm so proud of you!"

Danielle couldn't help smiling, all of her annoyance at being dressed like a giant mustard bottle quickly disappearing. She had already been happy to finally be graduating, but her mother's enthusiasm was rubbing off on her and making her feel downright _ecstatic_. "Look your fill, mother dearest," she said when Lynne released her and took a step back. Danielle held her arms out wide, as if presenting herself as a grand prize. "After today, I'm officially an _adult_."

Lynne made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob at those words. "An _adult_. My gosh, I can hardly believe it! Where has the time gone! I can still remember when you were just a little girl – "

Danielle, knowing her overemotional mother was on the verge of going into a rant that would take ages for her to come back from, waved her hands quickly and began to lead her toward the door. "Yeah, yeah, I was cute and little and now I'm all grown up. I know!" she said with a laugh. "You can tell me all about it later! Right now, we gotta _go_! It's time for me to graduate!"

Lynne quickly stopped her rambling. "Yes, yes! Of course!" she said, sniffling loudly for a moment before collecting herself and going to fetch her purse.

They headed outside, where they found Charlie and Bella waiting for them by Lynne's car. As of May, Lynne and Charlie were officially a _thing_ , which meant they were all driving to graduation together like one big happy family. It was still a little weird, if one were to ask Danielle, but her mother had been over the moon ever since and even _Charlie_ had been more chipper than usual. They were both clearly happy, and so long as that was the case, then she was happy _for_ them.

Lynne, in her usual mom form, demanded they take pictures in the yard before leaving for the school. Bella snapped about a dozen pictures of them in various places around the yard, before Lynne stepped back and ordered Bella to get in a few pictures with Danielle as well. Charlie stood by patiently, allowing the picture-fest to go on for about ten minutes, before he finally looked pointedly at his watch and reminded Lynne that they needed to get going if they wanted to get decent parking. Finally, Lynne put the camera away, and after they had all piled into the car, they were on their way to the school.

Forks High School was packed by the time they arrived. Charlie parked in the first spot he could find, then the four of them climbed out and started making their way across the school parking lot. All around them were fellow classmates, some decked in the same silly robes that Danielle was wearing, others simply in normal clothes as they came to support their graduating friends. There was laughter and excitable chatter everywhere as people posed for pictures with friends and family, and Danielle found herself waving to several people who called out greetings as she and Bella walked past with their parents in tow, her good spirits heightened even further by all the cheerfulness surrounding them.

They were almost to the stairs that led up to the front entrance when Danielle caught sight of a large group standing by two fancy, familiar looking cars. Jasper and his family were already there, looking casual and relaxed as they chatted amongst themselves. Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie were decked out in graduation robes, but none of them looked particularly excited about it. She supposed they wouldn't have any reason to be, though – Jasper and his siblings had graduated so many times by this point that the whole ceremony had to be rather boring and tedious for them now.

Jasper spotted her immediately, a wide grin breaking across his handsome face. It didn't take long for the whole family to notice them after that, and soon they were all smiling and waving in greeting. Except, of course, for Rosalie, who merely watched them approach with a neutral expression.

"Congratulations!" Alice shouted, rushing forward to hug Danielle first. "How excited are you?"

" _So_ excited!" Danielle said with a vigorous nod.

Alice grinned as she released her, then went to hug Bella next. Now free to greet the rest of the Cullen clan, Danielle moved from vampire to vampire, receiving warm hugs from Esme and Carlisle, a pat on the shoulder from Edward, and a _very_ enthusiastic hug from Emmett, who nearly knocked her graduation cap off her head as he scooped her up and squeezed her in a bear hug. Once she was back on her own two feet, Jasper was by her side, sliding an arm around her and kissing her cheek. Even in the ugly graduation gown, he _still_ looked amazing, which just seemed downright unfair.

"It's the big day," he said with a smirk. "You finally get to put high school behind you."

"Thank _god_ ," Danielle said with a dramatic sigh, which made Jasper chuckle. Her eyes met Rosalie's in the next moment, and she couldn't help but flush a bit. "Hey, Rosalie," she said, her tone polite and slightly shy.

Rosalie hesitated a moment, then nodded to her. "Hello, Danielle," she greeted back in a cordial tone.

Over the past few months, things had slowly begun to change for the better where she and Rosalie were concerned. According to Jasper, the bravery that she and Bella had shown during the altercation with James had impressed Rosalie to a certain degree, though she would have never admitted it aloud. She had also slowly and reluctantly begun to come to terms with the fact that Jasper and Edward were serious about their love for her and Bella, and that they wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon. So while she still wouldn't say they were friends – far from it, actually – Rosalie had at least stopped being openly hostile toward them. For now, that was more than good enough for Danielle.

They all stood around chatting in the parking lot for another five minutes. Lynne, of course, took advantage of the situation and snapped multiple pictures of Danielle and Jasper together in their matching gowns – Emmett, naturally, photobombed a number of the pictures, making Bella and the Cullen's laugh and causing Rosalie to roll her eyes and shake her head at his antics. Eventually they noticed that everyone was beginning to congregate inside and decided to head that way, their large group merging with the crowd shuffling their way inside. Once they were in the school, Danielle, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie said goodbye to everyone else and went off with the rest of the graduates making their way toward the cafeteria to await the time when they would be sent to the auditorium for the ceremony.

"You excited for the party tonight, Dani?" Emmett asked as the four of them loitered off to the side, standing slightly away from everyone else.

For their graduation party, Danielle and the graduating Cullen's had decided to do a joint celebration at the Cullen house. It had seemed the easiest and most logical thing to do, seeing as the Cullen's didn't really have friends outside of her and Bella and since the majority of Danielle's guest list would have been Cullen's anyway. She, Jasper, and Emmett had pitched the idea to Lynne and Esme, who had become fast friends after meeting in March and had been more than happy to merge the two celebrations together. Throw Alice – the designated party planner – into the mix, and they were in for what Danielle expected was going to be a full on, fun filled shindig.

"Of course!" Danielle answered with a nod. "Alice has been yapping my ear off about it for a month now. I'm anxious to see what they've got planned."

"It's definitely gonna be a good night," Emmett said, a wide smirk pulling at his lips. "A night full of fun and _surprises_ ," he added, raising his brows meaningfully.

"Surprises?" Danielle repeated. "What _kind_ of surprises?" She asked.

Emmett started to answer, but was quickly silenced by a firm slap to the arm from Rosalie. "Ignore him, darlin'," Jasper interjected, making her look up at him. He was glaring at Emmett in warning. "He's just being a moron."

"Hey!" Emmett said with offense.

Danielle looked between the two of them, one eyebrow inching upward. "Okay, I feel like Emmett is gonna try to pull something on me tonight," she said with trepidation. It was a logical fear – Emmett _did_ like to mess with people. "Should I be worried?"

Emmett chuckled evilly. "I don't know. _Should_ you?" he asked in a way that left her feeling even more uneasy.

Danielle pursed her lips and looked at Jasper for help. He just winked at her, a small smile appearing on he corner of his mouth. "Don't worry. Everything will be just fine," he assured her. "I'll protect you from Big Foot. I promise."

Danielle relaxed and smiled up at Jasper in response, while Emmett huffed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, _cowboy_ ," he said, shoving Jasper's shoulder. "Everyone here knows I can take you down in a _heartbeat_."

"Oh _really_?" Jasper countered, his eyes glinting with challenge now.

Danielle, who had seen them wrestle enough times by now to know what was on the verge of happening, held her hands up. "Stop it right there," she said firmly. "We're in _public_. This isn't the time _or_ the place. So calm it down, because I am _not_ above going to get Esme so she can kick _both_ of your assess if you start acting like children," she threatened.

Jasper and Emmett grumbled in response, but ceased their back and forth at once. Danielle nodded in satisfaction and glanced at Rosalie – when she saw that the vampire was smirking in amusement over the Jasper and Emmett being put in their place, Danielle's eyebrows nearly launched clear off her forehead because they flew up so high. Had she actually said something to _humor_ Rosalie? Before she could celebrate the fact, however, Rosalie realized she had been caught and quickly wiped the smirk from her face, her expression turning neutral again.

Soon enough, teachers were hurrying into the cafeteria and began ushering everyone to line up in alphabetical order. Jasper gave Danielle a quick kiss before heading off with Rosalie to find their place in line, while Danielle stuck with Emmett. As luck would have it, there were no other students with a C name that fell between Clark and Cullen, which meant she and Emmett would be right next to each other the entire ceremony.

Finally, the time had come to go to the auditorium. With the small graduating class buzzing with excitement, they filed out of the cafeteria and made their to the auditorium, where they were greeted by loud cheering from those who had come to watch the ceremony. Danielle located her mother in the crowd quickly, pleased to discover that she, Charlie, and Bella had chosen to sit with the Cullen's. Danielle and Emmett waved to their families vigorously, smiling widely as they went past, then quickly made their way to their seats.

To be honest, the ceremony itself was rather boring. They sang the school anthem at first – Emmett sang extra loud and horrendously off key, which had Danielle laughing through most of it – then took their seats as the principal went up to the microphone to give a speech about the future and all the joys they could expect in the adult life to come. She listened with only half an ear as he addressed the crowd, followed by their class Valedictorian. Emmett, who was clearly bored out of his mind, had taken it upon himself to narrate the ceremony as if he were a sports announcer, and after a few minutes of this, she couldn't resist joining in. There was a lot of snorting and a lot of laughing between them, which earned them a lot of disapproving looks. All of which, of course, they happily ignored.

Finally, the diplomas were handed out. Danielle thanked her lucky stars that Forks was a small school and that she wasn't part of a very big class – the proceedings would go by far more quickly than they would have if she had graduated from her old high school in Houston, which was three times as big as Forks High. When it was time for her name to be called, Emmett made sure she made it up to the stage alright and then cheered loudly for her as she went to receive her diploma. He wasn't the only one either. The lunch group was hollering and whistling for her off to the left, while her, mother, Bella, Charlie, and the Cullen's were all standing on their feet and cheering enthusiastically. Nobody was cheering louder, however, than Jasper, who had surged to his feet and was clapping so loudly that those closest to him looked mildly alarmed.

After stopping to cheer for Emmett, who smirked smugly and held his arms up in victory as he went to get his diploma, they went back to their seats to wait out the rest of the ceremony. When Jasper's name was called, both Danielle and Emmett stood up, cheering and whistling and clapping loudly. He smirked at them as he got his diploma, sending a wink in Danielle's direction. Rosalie was up next, and as she glided across the stage Emmett wolf whistled loudly and shouted out, _That's my girl!_ The exclamation caused laughter to ripple through the auditorium – even Rosalie couldn't help smiling and shaking her head in amusement.

Danielle bounced in her seat for the rest of the ceremony, eager for it to be over and for her to be officially finished with high school. When, _finally,_ the last student was called, everyone cheered loudly, relieved the ceremony was coming to a close. The principal went back to the microphone to say a few last closing words, before informing them that they could move their tassels from right to left to signal their graduation.

"Congratulations, graduates!" the principal finally exclaimed. "You made it!"

There was a loud cheer from all the graduating students as they raised from their seats and threw their caps into the air. Danielle grinned and turned to Emmett, who hugged her tightly and ruffled her hair. By the time he was letting her go, Jasper had already navigated his way to where they were. He wasted no time wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off her feet, his lips finding hers without hesitation. Danielle smiled against his lips, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as she kissed him back. Vaguely she was aware of people catcalling around them, but she was too caught up in Jasper to care.

"Congratulations, darlin'," Jasper murmured against her lips. "You're officially free."

"Congratulations to _you,_ " she shot back with a grin. "You made it through another round of high school without losing your mind. That's impressive."

Jasper shrugged. "I almost _did_ lose my mind a few times along the way. Lucky for me, _you_ came along and made everything all better."

Danielle smiled ever wider, fairly certain her expression was nothing but pure happiness. "Such a charmer."

"Just speaking the truth," Jasper countered.

He kissed her again after that, and she would have been perfectly happy to stay right there in his arms, kissing him until she was blue in the face. They broke apart however, when Emmett and Rosalie appeared next to them.

"Enough making out, already," he said loudly, smacking them both on the back to catch their attention. "We've got a _party_ to get to!"

Jasper heaved at the interruption and shot Emmett a look, but set her back on her feet nonetheless. Danielle just smiled and nodded, before grabbing Jasper's hand. She stretched up to peck his lips one more time, then they finally followed Emmett and Rosalie back through the crowd to reunite with their families.

* * *

There were more people at their graduation party that Danielle had expected. The entire lunch group came, as did a handful of people that her mother had befriended since taking over the bookshop. The Cullen's were all in attendance, of course, and so were Bella and Charlie, as well as a few of Carlisle's co-workers from the hospital. The rest were all kids from school, some she knew by name, others she didn't know at all. It was hard to say whether they had actually been invited or if they had jumped at the chance to say they had gone to a party at the coveted Cullen house and decided to just show up. Either way, Danielle didn't particularly care. Alice had outdone herself making sure everything was absolutely perfect, decorating the house from top to and setting out enough food to feed a small army. The vampire's hard work had paid off, too – Danielle was having a great time, and it appeared everyone else was, too.

There were toasts made by Lynne and Esme congratulating those who had be graduated. Soon after, everyone helped themselves to the catered dinner Alice had provided before indulging in an absolute _monster_ of a cake that had all four of the graduates' names on it. Before Danielle knew it, it was dark outside, but the party was still in full swing. Her mother was chatting with the adult ladies and enjoying a glass of wine – Esme had a glass in her hand too, though Danielle hadn't seen her actually drink any of it yet. Carlisle and Charlie were in the kitchen with Carlisle's doctor friends, looking to be having a serious discussion, while Edward and Emmett were laughing about something by the food table. Rosalie appeared to be doing her best to keep away from anyone she didn't know, but Alice was doing the exact opposite. She had corralled the younger crowd toward the space she had cleared out for a dancing area and was twirling around in the middle, smiling as she danced by herself and uncaring of the somewhat strange looks she was getting from those around her.

As for Jasper, he had been roped into a conversation with Mike, Eric, and Tyler, though he didn't appear to be doing much to contribute to it – not very surprising, considering the three teenagers talked so much it was hard for _anyone_ to get a word in most of the time. Danielle, who was hanging out with Bella, Angela, and Jessica, grinned as Jasper shot her a look that clearly said _help me._ She just shrugged at him, though, and hid her amused grin by drinking from her cup.

"So, Dani. What's the next step?" Angela asked, dragging Danielle's attention away from Jasper and over to her.

Danielle shrugged. "Honestly? It's open ended at the moment," she said. "There was a time when the plan was to go back to Houston for college, but …things have changed a little since then."

Jessica grinned. "I'd say so," she agreed, sneaking a not so discreet look at Jasper. "If I had a boyfriend who was as crazy about me as Jasper is about _you_ , I wouldn't wanna leave either!"

Danielle smiled and snuck another look at Jasper, who was watching them. She could tell he was eavesdropping. "Well, it's definitely not a one sided thing," she said. "I'm pretty crazy about him, too." She saw Jasper smile when she said that.

Angela sighed, her smile rather love-struck. "You guys are _so_ cute together," she said. "I mean, seriously. It's almost sickening how great you are together."

"Agreed," Jessica said quickly. She then reached out to grab Danielle's wrist, her brows shooting upward as she leaned closer. "Do you think you guys will get _married_?" she hissed.

Danielle shared a quick look with Bella, who fidgeted and took a quick drink of her soda. The truth was that she didn't just _think_ she and Jasper were going to get married – she _knew_ they were going to get married. She couldn't exactly say _when_ it would happen, but it definitely _was_ going to happen. There weren't very many people who knew that she and Jasper had been talking about marriage, however. She had told Bella and Tom – Bella had been very excited for them, while Tom had at first suggested that Danielle was out of her damn mind before eventually telling her that he would support her decision, no matter what. She also suspected that all of the Cullen's knew because, well, between Edward reading minds and Alice seeing the future, how could they _not_ know? Other than that, they had kept everyone else in the dark for the time being.

"I don't know," Danielle lied, looking back to Jessica. "It could happen I guess."

"Well, I hope you guys do," Jessica said brightly. "You guys are too perfect for each other _not_ to be together forever. If you guys break up, there's literally no hope for the rest of us!" she finished dramatically.

Danielle just laughed and shot another look at Jasper, who smirked when their eyes met and shot her a wink.

The party went on for a few more hours, before, finally, people began to filter out. When the only people left were Danielle, Lynne, Bella, Charlie and the Cullen's, everyone started to pitch in and clean up the mess that had been made over the course of the celebration. Alice and Esme tried to insist they could handle it themselves, but when they realized their protests were being ignored, they finally stopped fighting it and accepted the help.

Danielle was throwing some paper plates into the trash can when Jasper came up behind her, his strong arms sliding around her waist from behind. "Have I told you how beautiful you look today?" he murmured in her ear.

Danielle grinned and looked at him over her shoulder. In fact, he _had_ told her that at least a dozen times. "You have, but I don't mind hearing it again."

Jasper pressed his forehead against her temple, hugging her tighter. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," he told her.

Danielle's heart flooded with warmth. "You're not so bad yourself, Major Whitlock," she said back.

Jasper smiled, then turned her around so that they were face to face. She could feel his love for her filling the air around them, making her feel warm and happy and cherished. He brushed her hair back away from her face, then glanced toward the living room, where everyone else was.

"Will you go somewhere with me?" he asked.

Danielle tilted her head in curiosity. "Where?" she asked.

Jasper smiled. "You'll see."

Danielle gave him a look of slight suspicion, but still nodded in agreement. "Okay."

He grabbed her hand and led her out of the kitchen. When they walked into the living room, several eyes turned in their direction. Alice, she noticed, looked rather excited about something, so much so that she was practically bouncing on her heels. She only stopped when Edward nudged her with his elbow. Danielle also took note of the fact that Carlisle and Esme looked inexplicably proud, while Emmett was smirking widely, as if he knew something she didn't. Their behavior seemed a little odd, but she couldn't possibly guess the reason for it.

"Alice, Esme, Lynne – I think I speak for everyone when I say thank you for throwing such a nice party for us," Jasper said once they had the attention of the room. "The three of you went above and beyond."

"You're welcome, Jasper," Esme said warmly.

Jasper nodded to her, then turned his gaze to Lynne. "Lynne, if you wouldn't mind, may I steal Danielle for a while?" he asked politely. "I promise to bring her back in a timely manner," he added with a smirk.

Lynne cocked a brow, but smiled and nodded nonetheless. She had long since forgiven the Cullen's for what she _thought_ had happened in Phoenix. She even liked Jasper so much now that she had insisted he stop always calling her _Ms. Clark_. Still, after what had happened, she had the tendency to be a little wary whenever Danielle disappeared with Jasper for long stretches of time. "Just have her home before eleven," she said.

"You have my word," Jasper promised.

With that they said their goodbyes and went down to the garage, where they got into Jasper's car. As soon as they were on the road, Danielle grabbed Jasper's hand, her fingers idly tracing patterns against his skin.

"You gonna tell me where we're going now?" she asked curiously.

Jasper smirked and shook his head. "Nope. You'll just have to be patient."

Danielle gave him a look, but decided to stop pestering him. The truth was that she didn't care _where_ they were going. After being surrounded by people all day and having no alone time, Danielle was happy that it was finally just the two of them. He could be taking her to a landfill and she still probably wouldn't mind, so long as they were together.

They drove for only about ten minutes when Jasper pulled off to the side of the road and parked the car. Danielle took one look around at the forest surrounding the car and found herself vividly reminded of the night of the Spring Fling, when Jasper had taken her to that clearing for their own private dance. Suddenly, she knew _exactly_ where they were headed.

Danielle smiled as Jasper ran around to the passenger side and helped her out of the car. "This feels familiar," she commented. When he smirked and picked her up bridal style to carry her through the forest, just as he had done the last time he had brought her there, she couldn't stop herself from giggling. "Now it feels even _more_ familiar," she said, sliding her arms comfortably around his neck as they started making their way into the forest.

When they reached the clearing, she found that it looked almost exactly as it had the night he had first brought her there. There were boxes of all shapes and sizes positioned sporadically around the clearing, with dozens of candles burning on top of them. The blanket was there again, as was the record player. The only difference now was that there were hundreds of flower petals scattered all around, making the area smell strongly of roses.

Jasper set her down on the blanket, taking a moment to kiss her temple before going over to start the record player. The music choice was Ella Fitzgerald again.

Danielle was grinning by the time be came back to her. "Would you dance with me?" he asked, extending a hand to her.

Danielle nodded and slipped her hand into his. It was more challenging to dance in her boot, but they made it work easily enough. In the end, she rested her feet on top of Jasper's and let him guide her in a slow dance, laying her head against his shoulder and smiling to herself all the while.

"Happy?" Jasper asked, though she had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"Very," Danielle confirmed. "This was such a wonderful day already, but now it just got even _better_." She lifted her head to smile at him. "Thank you for bringing me back here."

Jasper smiled down at her. "You're welcome," he said. "Tonight is a special night, so I wanted to bring you somewhere equally special," he continued. "I could think of no better place than here. This is where we first said that we loved one another," he said, though she didn't need reminding – that was something she would _never_ forget. "For that reason alone, this clearing will always be a place of importance."

Danielle nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it will."

She glanced around, eyeing the rose petals and the candles, taking a moment to really think about how much had happened since that night. In fact, as she thought about everything that had happened since moving to Forks _period_ , it was rather amazing to think how quickly her life had changed. But even though not everything that had happened had been good, it had a brought her to _this_ moment, back in the clearing with the vampire she loved, and with nothing but a bright and hopeful future ahead of her. A future, she knew, that would be shared with Jasper.

She had never really thought about it until now, but suddenly she thanked God above that her mother had moved them to Forks, even though Lynne had had to practically _drag_ her in kicking and screaming.

"What are you thinking about?" Jasper asked.

"How glad I am that my mom took the job at the bookshop and forced me to move here," she said with a small laugh. "It brought me to _you,_ and I will always be grateful for that."

Jasper smiled and raised a hand to her face, gently touching her cheek. They stopped swaying and just stood there for a moment, staring at one another in silence. When several moments ticked by and Jasper still said nothing, just continued to stare down at her, she finally had to smile and raise her brows questioningly.

"What is it?" she prompted, wanting to know what was in his mind.

"You are incredible, Danielle," he finally said. "You are everything I have ever looked for in a partner. You complete me in a way I never thought possible. From the moment I stepped into your mother's bookshop and you smiled at me for the first time, I have known, with complete certainty, that I will never want another."

She was surprised by the seriousness behind his words, but did not get to say anything in response before he began speaking again. "What happened in Phoenix was an eye opening experience. Not just for me, but for _both_ of us," he continued. "I have never felt fear as strongly as I did that day, when I thought I would… _lose you._ " Jasper pulled her a tiny bit closer. "It made me realize how precious every moment with you is. And it made me realize that I don't want to waste _any_ of the time we have together."

He finally released her and took a step back. She blinked in confusion at first, but when he dropped down to one knee and pulled a small, black box from his pocket, Danielle gasped in shock and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Danielle Katherine Clark, I love you with every fiber of my being, and I want to spend the rest of my days loving you, protecting you, and making you as happy as you can possibly be," Jasper said. He opened the ring box, but she was so focused on _him_ that she didn't even look at what was inside. "Will you marry me?"

Tears had started sliding down her cheeks, and she was grinning so wide it actually hurt. But through her tears and the sudden, all-consuming joy that had burst through her veins, she managed to form a coherent answer. "Yes! _Yes!"_

Jasper grinned and surged to his feet, lifting her off the ground as he scooped her up in his arms and kissed her enthusiastically. They were a jumbled mess of tears and lips and laughter as they kissed, until Jasper finally set her on her feet and hastily pulled the ring from the box. He tossed the box over his shoulder carelessly, making her giggle, before sliding the ring onto her finger. It was a fairly simple ring – it was a square cut diamond on a platinum band, with two smaller diamonds on either side of the main one. But it was still absolutely beautiful and absolutely _perfect_.

"Do you like it?" Jasper asked, sounding the teeniest bit anxious.

Danielle looked up at him and grinned, her arms sliding around his neck. "I _love_ it."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Alice helped me pick it out," Jasper admitted with a slightly sheepish smile.

Danielle snorted. "Of _course_ she did," she said, not even the least bit surprised that Alice had had a hand in the proposal. In that moment, she realized why the Cullen's bad been acting funny before they left – they had all _known_ this was going to happen. "Everybody knew!" she gasped.

Jasper nodded. "Everyone but you, Bella, and your mother," he confirmed. "They have known for two months now. It's a miracle nobody ruined the surprise," he said next with a chuckle. "I'm fairly certain Alice has already begun planning the wedding, though, so don't be surprised if she bombards you with wedding plans the next time you see her."

Danielle laughed, then quirked a brow at him. "Seems everyone was pretty confident I was gonna say yes, huh?" she couldn't help but tease.

Jasper smirked and leaned closer, so that they were nose to nose. "Was there really a chance you would say _no_ , darlin'?" he asked lowly, his eyes smoldering as they held hers.

Danielle tightened her hold on him, her fingers burying into his hair as she shook her head. " _Never,_ " she stated firmly. "You're _mine_ , Hale. Just like I'm _yours_." She couldn't resist nuzzling her nose against his. "You're _never_ getting rid of me now," she said with a smirk.

Jasper grinned, his grip on her tightening a fraction as he pulled her flush against his chest. "And I wouldn't have it any other way," he murmured, before capturing her lips in another searing kiss.

* * *

 _End of Part One_

* * *

 **We did it you guys! We made it to the end of part one! I really, really hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! And thank you to everyone for your support, it means the world to me!**

 **I will be taking a small break before beginning Part Two, just because the second part is going to need a lot of work and I need to take some time to plan things out. But I** _ **will**_ **be posting Part Two in this same story, so don't go anywhere! Jasper and Danielle will be back soon! Happy reading!**


	21. PART TWO - Chapter Twenty

**Author's note at the end!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I own nothing related to the Twilight franchise, only the OC's.**

* * *

 **Part Two**  
 _The Breaking Bough_

* * *

 _Chapter One_

 _June_

Danielle woke to a wet and rainy Sunday morning. Sighing gently as the haze of sleep began to clear from her mind, she opened her eyes, listening to the loud _pitter-patter_ of rain against the window and watching the rivulets of water that travelled down the glass. She then rolled onto her back, yawning widely and stretching her arms above her head, before finally pushing off the covers and sitting up in bed.

The room she was in was not her own. It was Jasper's. Danielle stood from the bed that had been moved into the room specifically for her and went across the room to the desk, walking slowly and gingerly because she didn't have her walking boot on yet. She bypassed the books and papers sitting on the surface of the desk so that she could grab her phone and check the time. _9:23._ There was a tiny feeling of disappointment that flashed through when she saw that she had no missed calls or text messages, but she quickly pushed the feeling down and set her phone back on the desk.

Turning away from the desk, Danielle limped over to the closet across the room, opening the door and clicking the light on. Jasper had cleared out a section for her clothing, and though she had seen it every day for two weeks now, the sight of their clothes together in a single closet still made her inexplicably happy. It was just so… _domestic._ Danielle rifled through her clothes for something to wear, and after settling on her favorite pair of jeans and a lightweight long sleeve, she slid out of her pajamas and got dressed. Danielle then went into the adjoining bathroom to brush her teeth and throw her sleep-mussed curls into a messy knot on top of her head, before stepping back out into the room to put on her walking boot. Then she finally left Jasper's bedroom and headed downstairs.

The Cullen house was full of its usual sounds. The morning news was playing on the large television in the living room and she could hear a muffled conversation from somewhere in the house. She could also hear loud music and some banging around coming from the garage on the first floor, which could only mean that was where Emmett currently was. She had discovered very quickly upon moving in that her second favorite Cullen was, unsurprisingly, the loudest member of the family. He was almost always making _some_ sort of racket in the house, whether it be yelling at the television during sports games or, as he was doing now, stirring up a ruckus in the garage. It had been annoying at first simply because he had woken her up in the middle of the night at least four times her first week living there. But after a stern talking to, he had kept his noisiness to a minimum during sleeping hours, and now his general loudness wasn't quite so irritating anymore.

The living room was empty, so Danielle continued on to the kitchen, following the scent of breakfast and coffee. It was in there that she found Esme stationed at the stove, wearing a look of concentration as her eyes bounced back and forth between the food she was making and the recipe she was evidently following.

"Good morning, Dani," Esme greeted with a warm smile, only taking her eyes off the pan for a second before concentrating on the food again. She was making pancakes.

"Good morning," Danielle said in return. "Where is everyone?"

"Jasper and Alice are in the dining room, Rosalie went out, Emmett is tinkering around with his jeep, Carlisle left for work a few hours ago, and Edward is spending the day with Bella," Esme answered, smiling with satisfaction as she finished with the pancake she had been cooking and moved it from the pan to a nearby plate.

Esme reached for some more pancake mix and poured just the right amount of it onto the pan to make another. As she did this, Danielle move closer to lean against the counter next to the beautiful vampire. She quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, staring pointedly at Esme until the vampire finally looked over.

"What?" Esme asked innocently.

Danielle sighed, giving her a look. "Esme, it's _super_ nice of you to cook for me," she said first and foremost. "But like I've told you a dozen times, you _really_ don't have to. I don't want you to go through the trouble of cooking stuff you're not even gonna eat yourself. I can handle it myself," she insisted.

Esme just smiled and patted her shoulder. "And like _I've_ told _you_ a dozen times, I really don't mind," she countered. "It's fun, actually. I'm learning new things," she added, before flipping the pancake so that it could cook on the other side.

Danielle shook her head. It didn't matter how many times Esme said it – Danielle _still_ felt bad that the vampire continued to go out of her way to take care of her. Jasper insisted that Esme did genuinely enjoy it, that she liked having another person around to nurture and look after, but it didn't stop her from feeling guilty that she disrupted the natural routine the Cullen's normally had in their home.

"I just feel bad," Danielle told Esme with a heavy sigh. "I'm imposing enough as it is already, and I don't want – "

"You are _not_ imposing," Esme argued back firmly. "We all _love_ having you around, Dani."

Danielle quirked a brow. "Even Rosalie?" she asked knowingly. Sure, things might have gotten a _little_ better between them in the nearly four months that had passed since Phoenix, but that didn't mean Rosalie had been thrilled over the fact that Danielle was currently living with them.

Esme pressed her lips together at that one. "Anyway," she said, ignoring Danielle's rebuttal. "This is a pointless argument. You will be marrying my son soon, which means that I _already_ view you as a member of this family. And I _take care_ of my family in whatever way they need me to. So you might as well get used to this, Dani, because it's going to go on for quite some time," Esme stated firmly.

Danielle sighed – how the hell was she supposed to argue against _that_?

She finally smiled and nodded in acceptance. "Alright. If you insist," she said with a huff of amusement.

"I do," Esme said, before turning a bright smile on her. "Now how many pancakes do you want?"

"Three would be great. Thanks," she said.

"Coming right up," Esme responded, her tone overly chipper. "I made you some coffee, too," she said next, her eyes focused on the pancakes again.

Danielle's eyes lit up as she turned to the coffee machine, which was filled with dark liquid. "Wonderful!" she said, already moving to pour herself a cup. She had become quite an avid coffee drinker over the past few weeks. Seeing as Jasper never slept, she found that she had taken to staying up quite a bit later than she normally did so that she could spend as much time with him as possible. This had led to her getting far less sleep than she was accustomed to, which had resulted in her turning to caffeine for an extra pick me up whenever she found herself feeling especially tired.

"Go ahead and have a seat in the dining room. I'll bring your food when it's ready," Esme said once Danielle had her cup of coffee in hand. "I'm sure Jasper could use a little saving right now. Alice has been talking his ear off about wedding plans for three hours now."

Danielle snorted into her coffee as she took the first sip.

It wasn't surprising to hear this, of course. Alice had begun making plans for her and Jasper's wedding _before_ they had even become officially engaged, and she had been full steam ahead ever since. The date was set – July 30, 2005 – everything was booked, and now, with the wedding barely a month and a half away, Alice could hardly speak of anything else. She was constantly immersed in wedding planning, often times forcing Danielle and Jasper to sit down with her for hours on end to discuss every last little detail that popped into her mind. It was nice of Alice to help out so much, of course, and with the combination of her party-planning skills and her being able to peak into the future, it had helped speed up the planning process quite a bit, hence their decision to get married so quickly. Alice's enthusiasm could get a little overwhelming sometimes, though.

"Help is on the way," Danielle announced to Esme, who laughed quietly.

Danielle left the kitchen and walked toward the dining room, blowing gently on her hot coffee to cool it down some. As she drew closer, she could hear two very familiar voices already, though they were speaking in two _very_ different tones. Alice sounded excitable and eager, while Jasper sounded exasperated and annoyed.

"Come _on,_ Jasper! It would be _so_ nice!" she heard Alice insisted.

"Absolutely not," Jasper responded firmly.

" _Ugh_!" Alice heaved back. "You are _such_ a stick in the mud sometimes," she accused. "I bet _Dani_ will go for it. Just you wait and see!"

At the exact moment the vampire said those words, Danielle walked into the dining room. She saw Jasper and Alice sitting opposite each other at the large, wooden table, with a number of binders and papers strewn across the surface between them. They looked up as she entered, both immediately forgetting their annoyance with each other as they smiled at the sight of her.

"Morning, Dani!" Alice said cheerfully.

"Morning," she said back. "You guys sound like you're having fun," she then commented with a smirk, moving around the table so that she could be by Jasper.

"Tons," Jasper said sarcastically, shooting a brief look toward Alice.

Danielle grinned and leaned down to brush a kiss against his lips. Jasper had a lopsided smile on his lips when she pulled away. "Morning, honey," Danielle said affectionately.

"Good morning to you, too," he said.

Danielle settled in the chair next to him, instantly feeling content and safe when Jasper rested an arm around the back of her chair, his hand resting comfortably on her shoulder. She took a drink of coffee and set her mug down, then turned a questioning look on Alice.

"So what exactly do you think I'd go for?" she asked curiously, wanting to know what they had been discussing before she had entered the room.

"Alice thinks we should release a dozen white _doves_ when we kiss at the end of the ceremony," Jasper said, his brow quirking and his expression stating exactly how much he disliked the idea. "Which seems silly and unnecessary to me."

"I disagree," Alice rebutted. "It would be _so_ lovely! Don't you think so, Dani?"

Danielle pulled a face. "Actually, I have to agree with Jasper on this one."

Jasper smiled in triumph, while Alice blanched at her. "You're kidding!" she said in disbelief. "Why don't you like the idea?"

Danielle shrugged. "I don't know. It seems a little...corny?" she said. "I guess it just makes me think that some cheesy magician will pop up and start doing tricks or something."

Alice frowned. "So no doves, then?" she asked forlornly.

Danielle shared a look with Jasper, before they shook their heads at the same time. "No doves," Danielle confirmed with finality.

Alice grumbled and turned her eyes down to the paper in front of her, muttering things that Danielle couldn't quite hear under her breath as she scratched out a line of writing. "I suppose you wouldn't like the idea of _swans_ walking around the yard either, would you?" Alice asked, though her tone hinted she already knew what answer was coming.

Danielle shook her head. "Not particularly," she said. "I don't trust that they wouldn't poop all over the place," she added, which made Jasper chuckle under his breath. "It's a nice thought, Alice, but I think it's best if we just avoid anything involving any winged creatures, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Alice reluctantly agreed, before grumbling again and crossing out the line directly underneath the one she had just marked out. Danielle shared an amused smiled with Jasper, who squeezed her shoulder in return.

After a second, Alice perked up again, her expression businesslike as she read over her notes. "Okay, next order of business then," she said, moving on with the conversation. Danielle reached over to squeeze Jasper's knee encouragingly when he let out a heavy sigh. "The seating chart," Alice said, ignoring Jasper's heave. She shuffled through her papers until she found one that had several tables drawn on it. "While I've got you both here, I want you to look over the chart and see where I've put everyone. Tell me if there's anything that should be changed."

Jasper reached for the paper Alice extended in their direction and set it on the table between them. Danielle leaned closer, surprised by all of the names she saw written next to each table. "But we haven't even sent out invitations yet," Danielle said with a frown, her eyes turning back to Alice. "How do you know all these people will come?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Duh, Dani," she said, tapping her temple with a meaningful look.

Danielle nodded in understanding, then turned her attention back to the seating chart. She eyed the different names written on the paper, as well as the locations of the tables themselves in comparison to where she and Jasper would sit during the reception. All in all, everything looked good – not that she really cared _where_ everyone sat, so long as people were fed and had fun.

Just as she was about to tell Alice that she thought everything look fine, her eyes landed on a name written next to one of the tables closest to her and Jasper.

 _Lynne Clark._

Danielle pressed her lips together tightly, her stomach clenching as she read her mother's name. She turned a look up to Alice, her brows pulled together uncertainly. "Are you sure my mom's coming?" she asked timidly, trying to ignore the heaviness now filling her stomach. Jasper must have felt the change in her mood, because he squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

Alice smiled gently and nodded. "She'll _come,_ Dani. I know it. I've _seen_ it."

Danielle nodded slowly, but wasn't completely convinced.

You see, there was a _reason_ that Danielle was currently living with the Cullen's, and that reason _wasn't_ a happy one. The truth was that Danielle had been having some _serious_ problems with her mother as of late, problems that stemmed solely from the fact that Lynne did _not_ , in any way, shape, or form, approve of the fact that Danielle and Jasper had decided to get married. She thought they were too young, that they were jumping into things too quickly and making a huge mistake. And she had had _no_ problems telling them that when they had broken the news to her about the engagement the day after Jasper had proposed…

 _OOO_

 _The morning after graduation, Danielle paced the length of her bedroom nervously while Jasper watched from her bed, his brows raised a tick as she muttered to herself under her breath._

 _As much as she would have loved to have taken a few days to bask in the sheer joy of now officially being engaged to Jasper, she knew that they needed to tell her mother the news before word had the chance to spread and she found out from someone else. Needless to say, Danielle was_ _ **not**_ _looking forward to it. The Cullen's had been overjoyed at the news of their engagement, but she knew better than to expect that same reaction from Lynne. She_ _ **knew**_ _her mother, and she knew there were only two ways that Lynne might react – either she was going to be mad, or she was going to be_ _ **furious**_ **.**

 _"_ _I feel like I'm gonna throw up," Danielle admitted as she fidgeted nervously with her engagement ring._

 _Jasper got up from the bed and planted himself in her path, putting an end to her pacing by placing his hands on her shoulders. "It'll be fine, darlin'," he said, rubbing her shoulders encouragingly and flashing an optimistic smile._

 _"_ _You don't know my mother like I do, Jasper," Danielle countered with a shake of her head. "She's not like your family. She's gonna_ _ **freak**_ _when we tell her."_

 _Jasper sighed and shrugged. "We can wait, if you want," he offered. "We don't have to tell her today."_

 _Danielle immediately waved off his suggestion. As much as she was dreading it, she knew it was something that needed to happen sooner rather than later. "No. Keeping her in the dark will only make things worse," she said with a sigh of defeat. Danielle dropped her face into her hands for a second, before rubbing her face and exhaling loudly. "Let's just get it over with before I lose my nerve," she finally said, nodding resolutely._

 _"_ _Alright," Jasper said. He pulled her close to kiss her, flashing an encouraging smile. "Don't worry. I'll be right there with you," he reminded. Danielle managed a smile and a nod. "I'll be back soon," he then promised._

 _Jasper kissed her once more, then went to her window and stealthily snuck out, presumably to run back home and fetch his car. He had spent the night with her, which Lynne_ _ **also**_ _would have freaked out about if she had known about it…or if she had known about the dozen or so_ _ **other**_ _times Jasper had stayed with her since March. While he was gone, Danielle took the time to collect herself and practice what she would say, breathing deeply all the while and doing her best to think positive, encouraging thoughts._

 _Before she even knew it, the doorbell was ringing. She went to her window to look outside and saw Jasper's car parked in the street. He was back already. Danielle sucked in one last deep breath, then left her bedroom and headed downstairs._

 _By the time she hit the bottom floor, her mother had already opened the door to reveal Jasper, who was expertly pretending that he_ _ **hadn't**_ _been under the Clark roof for the past twelve hours. "Good morning, Jasper," Lynne said, smiling widely and pulling him in for a quick hug._

 _Jasper was a little stiff as he returned the hug, but his smile was easy and friendly. He was still getting used to her mother's affectionate nature. "Good morning, Lynne."_

 _"_ _Come on in," she ushered, stepping aside for him to step through the front door. As soon as he was inside, Lynne shut the door again. "Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee? Breakfast?"_

 _"_ _No, thank you," he declined politely. "I already had breakfast at home."_

 _"_ _Alright," Lynne said._

 _Danielle stepped forward to make her presence known, trying not to look as nervous and jittery as she currently felt. Jasper smiled at her, his eyes full of reassurance as she planted herself next to him. He leaned over to kiss her cheek, one hand finding its way onto her back. "Hello," he said in greeting._

 _"_ _Hi," she said back._

 _Awkward silence followed. Jasper seemed as though he was trying to let her take the lead, but Danielle had absolutely no idea what to do or how best to approach the subject of their engagement. She glanced toward her mother and cringed when she noticed that Lynne was eyeing them with uncertainty, as if she could sense that something was going on, only she wasn't sure what._

 _"_ _Do you guys have plans for today?" she finally asked to break the silence._

 _"_ _A few, yeah," Danielle answered with a nervous smile. "Nothing crazy. Just…you know…stuff."_

 _Lynne quirked a brow at her weird response, which made Danielle cringe. Jasper rubbed her back discreetly, sending a wave of calm over her. "On second thought," he spoke up, his voice perfectly calm and normal, "I'd love some coffee if you have it."_

 _Lynne glanced back and forth between the two of them, before nodding slowly. "Sure," she said. "Go ahead and get comfortable in the living room. I'll bring it to you."_

 _"_ _Thank you," Jasper said with a nod._

 _After Lynne went into the kitchen, Jasper led Danielle into the living room. She sighed and shook her head as they eased onto the couch together, raking a hand through her curls and making them stick out in wild directions. "I'm blowing this," she said helplessly._

 _"_ _Just relax," he said, grabbing her hand and lacing his fingers with hers. "I'm right here with you, remember? Whatever happens, we are in this together."_

 _Danielle smiled and nodded, squeezing his hand back. Not for the first time, she found herself marveling at how good he was to her, and wondering just what the hell she had done to get so lucky._

 _Lynne joined them in the living room shortly after, holding a steaming mug of coffee. "Is black alright?" she asked._

 _"_ _That's perfectly fine," Jasper answered. "Thank you."_

 _Lynne smiled and set the mug down on the coffee table in front of him, then sat down on the sofa adjacent to them. Jasper, out of obligation, reached for the coffee and took a drink. No doubt it tasted absolutely disgusting to him, but he had been pretending to eat and drink like a human for so long that his dislike of the coffee didn't show anywhere on his handsome face. After he swallowed the sip, he set the mug back down, his eyes darting to Danielle. She didn't realize she was fidgeting until he released her hand to put an arm around her shoulder, effectively anchoring her to the couch so she couldn't wiggle around._

 _"_ _So," Lynne said to break the uncomfortable silence that had been stretching on. "How does it feel to wake up as a high school graduate today, Jasper?" she asked._

 _"_ _Very liberating," Jasper answered. "I feel like I've got an entire world of opportunity before me now."_

 _"_ _That's because you do," Lynne said with a smile. "What's your plan then? Are you going to college?" she asked next._

 _Jasper glanced at Danielle again. "No set plans yet, but I'm weighing my options," he said with a nod._

 _Lynne nodded slowly, her eyes sliding back and forth between Danielle and Jasper. Danielle was convinced then that her mother_ _ **definitely**_ _knew something was going on. Lynne didn't address the awkwardness surrounding them at first, though. Instead, she made a few more attempts at making small talk, which only Jasper responded to. Danielle was so nervous, she couldn't even_ _ **look**_ _at her mother, let alone talk to her. Finally, after this went on for a few more minutes, Lynne seemed to have had enough._

 _"_ _Alright," she said loudly, making both Danielle and Jasper look at her. "What's going on?" she asked bluntly. "You're both being really weird,_ _ **especially**_ _you, Dani," she stated pointedly. "Has something happened?"_

 _Danielle looked at Jasper, who nodded encouragingly. Finally, Danielle sighed and looked at her mother. "Yes," she answered. "Something_ _ **has**_ _happened."_

 _Lynne waited for her to say more, then waved an impatient hand when Danielle didn't elaborate right away. "Well?" she prompted. "What is it?"_

 _Danielle sucked in a deep breath, then decided she might as well just say it and get it over with. "The reason Jasper came here today is because we have something to tell you," she started. Lynne's brows furrowed together immediately, her lips pulling down into a frown of uncertainty. "Mom…" Danielle took one more breath. "Jasper and I are getting married."_

 _Lynne blinked at those words, then looked at Jasper, who nodded in confirmation. Lynne then looked back to Danielle, before suddenly bursting into laughter. Danielle quirked a brow, her eyes jumping to Jasper's in confusion. Why the hell was her mother laughing? Had she just_ _ **heard**_ _what she had said? She turned her gaze back to her mother, who continued to laugh for a few more moments before sobering up again._

 _"_ _Very funny," Lynne said, a smile of amusement still stretched across her face._

 _Danielle frowned. "I'm not joking, mom," she said. "I'm being serious."_

 _Lynne made a sound of disbelief. "Sure you are," she said sarcastically, clearly still not believing her._

 _"_ _ **Mom**_ _," Danielle said firmly, the fierceness in her tone finally bringing Lynne's amusement to a halt. "I'm serious. Jasper and I are engaged. See?"_

 _She held up her left hand to show off her sparkly engagement ring. Lynne peered at the ring for a moment, blinking hard a few times as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Then, suddenly, her eyes went very wide, before she surged to her feet._

 _"_ _ **What**_ _?!" Lynne hollered loudly, her brows drawing together with anger. "You're_ _ **engaged**_ _?!"_

 _"_ _Yes," Danielle answered._

 _"_ _Since when?" Lynne demanded._

 _"_ _Since last night."_

 _Lynne gaped at them, then began to shake her head vigorously. "No. No, no, no. You_ _ **can't**_ _be engaged. You're far too young!" she said with denial. "What are you thinking? Do you have any idea how serious this is? Do you even – " Lynne suddenly gasped, her hands flying to her mouth as she seemed to realize something. Then she glared at the two of them with anger so fierce that Danielle could practically feel it against her skin. "_ _ **Are you pregnant**_ _?!" she demanded._

 _It was Danielle's turn to gasp in shock. "What? No!" she shouted at once._

 _"_ _You are!" Lynne countered. "You have to be! It's the only explanation!" She rounded on Jasper then, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "_ _ **You**_ _!" she growled. "You did this! You_ _ **deflowered**_ _my daughter! You got her pregnant, didn't you!"_

 _"_ _No, ma'am!" Jasper said immediately, shaking his head. "I swear to you that I didn't."_

 _"_ _I don't believe you!" Lynne said angrily._

 _It was Danielle's turn to surge to her feet. "Mom! Stop!" she said loudly. "I am_ _ **not**_ _pregnant! Jasper and I have never even had sex! I'm still a virgin, okay?" she said, her cheeks flushing furiously as she revealed this information. Jasper looked embarrassed too, and probably would have been blushing if it had been a possibility for him. "I wouldn't lie to you about this!"_

 _Lynne stood there for a moment, breathing hard as her glare shifted from Danielle, to Jasper, then back again. She finally seemed to accept that Danielle was telling the truth, but the knowledge that her daughter_ _ **hadn't**_ _been having premarital sex wasn't nearly enough to quell the anger still burning within her._

 _"_ _If you're not pregnant, then why are you getting married?" Lynne demanded._

 _Danielle scoffed. "Gee, I don't know. Maybe because we_ _ **love each other**_ _?" she offered, unable to keep the sarcasm from her tone._

 _"_ _Don't you take that tone with me!"_

 _"_ _Well, come on, mom!" Danielle said with exasperation. "You're being a little ridiculous right now."_

 _Lynne sputtered angrily. "_ _ **I'm**_ _being ridiculous?_ _ **You're**_ _the one trying to get married at eighteen!"_

 _"_ _First of all, I'll be nineteen in October," Danielle felt the need to point out. Lynne huffed dramatically in response. "And second, we're not_ _ **trying**_ _anything. We_ _ **are**_ _getting married, and that's that," she finished with a resolute nod._

 _"_ _No. No, it's not!" Lynne argued. "I will_ _ **not**_ _stand by and let you make this mistake! You are way too young to get married! End of story!"_

 _"_ _Lynne," Jasper interjected, getting to his own feet. "If I could just say a thing or two – "_

 _"_ _You shut it!" Lynne said with a sharp glare in Jasper's direction. "You've caused enough trouble already!"_

 _"_ _Hey!" Danielle snapped just as angrily. "Don't talk to him like that!" she defended. "If you wanna be angry at someone, be angry at me! He's been nothing but good to me! He doesn't deserve you being a jerk to him!"_

 _"_ _Darlin' – " Jasper tried to say._

 _"_ _Oh, I'm being a_ _ **jerk**_ _, huh?" Lynne said loudly, speaking over Jasper without giving him a second glance. "Well, if me being a_ _ **jerk**_ _means I can stop you from_ _ **ruining your life**_ _, then so be it!"_

 _Danielle threw her hands up in exasperation. "Don't be so dramatic! How am I ruining my life?" she demanded. "Jasper and I_ _ **love**_ _each other! We know we want to be together for the rest of our lives, so why wait?" Danielle crossed her arms over her chest, then gave her mother a firm look of determination. "We're_ _ **getting married**_ _, mom. And nothing you can say is gonna change that."_

 _"_ _It's not_ _ **happening**_ _, Danielle," Lynne countered with irritation. "You're going to go to college. You're going to get a degree. You're going to find a_ _ **career**_ _. If by the end of all that the two of you still think the sun shines out of each other's_ _ **butts**_ _, then I'll approve of you getting married. But until then, I_ _ **forbid**_ _you from marrying Jasper," Lynne concluded with a firm nod._

 _Danielle scoffed stubbornly. "Just in case you missed it, let me clear something up. I wasn't_ _ **asking**_ _your permission to marry Jasper. I was_ _ **telling**_ _you that I'm marrying him," she said. "I'm an adult, which means I can make my own decisions. And my decision is to_ _ **marry Jasper**_ _!"_

 _"_ _You're not an adult!" Lynne said, bordering on hysteria now. "You're a_ _ **child**_ _. And I don't care_ _ **how**_ _grown up you think you are – so long as you live under_ _ **this**_ _roof, you will do as I say!"_

 _Danielle pressed her lips together tightly, her fingers digging into her arms tightly as she considered what Lynne had said. She knew this argument had escalated quickly and long since passed the point of being under control – even Jasper's powers didn't appear to be enough to keep them from flying off the handle. But her mother's last words had given her an idea, and even though the tiny part of her brain still capable of rational thought screamed that it was a bad idea, she found herself jutting her chin upward stubbornly, her face set with determination._

 _"_ _Fine," she said. "Then I'm moving out."_

 _Both Lynne_ _ **and**_ _Jasper gaped at her in shock. "What?" they asked at the same time._

 _"_ _I'm moving out," Danielle repeated. She then turned to Jasper, who seemed completely at a loss as to what he should be doing. "Will you help me pack my stuff?" she asked._

 _Jasper stared at her, looked over at her mother, then turned his eyes back to hers. He looked horribly confused and extremely uncomfortable, but he nodded anyway. "Yes. I will," he agreed._

 _Danielle turned and marched toward the stairs with Jasper right on her heels. For a long few moments, Lynne seemed too shocked to do or say anything and stood right there in the middle of the living room, watching them go with disbelief. By the time Danielle and Jasper were reaching her room, however, Lynne recovered and came storming after them._

 _"_ _Danielle!" she yelled. "_ _ **Danielle Katherine Clark**_ _! You come back here_ _ **right now**_ _!"_

 _Danielle ignored her, and once she and Jasper were in her room, she slammed the door shut and locked the door so that Lynne couldn't come in. Lynne banged on the door from the other side, yelling all sorts of things to try to get through to her, but Danielle didn't respond. Instead, she braced her hands on the door and let her head fall forward, feeling exhausted now that she'd had a moment to stop and think about everything that had just happened. Actually, she was more than exhausted. As much as she had anticipated her mother's negative reaction, to know that Lynne was so against her and Jasper getting married was incredibly disappointing, and just down right made her feel_ _ **sad**_ _._

 _A hand on her back made her lift her head and turn around. Jasper was staring down at her with obvious concern. "Darlin', are you alright?" he asked gently._

 _Danielle pressed her lips together. She was_ _ **not**_ _alright, not even close. Still, she nodded her head. "I'll be okay. Let's just…make this quick."_

 _She started to turn toward her closet, but hesitated when Jasper wrapped a hand around her wrist to stop her. He still looked uncertain. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. "You're both so upset. Maybe you should try talking to her some more."_

 _Danielle shook her head. "I can't. Not right now. She won't listen to me." Danielle sighed heavily. "This wasn't what I had planned, Jasper. But…I love you. I want to marry you. And as much as I love my mother, I won't let her stand in the way of that. I'm old enough to make my own decisions, and if moving out is the only way to make this wedding happen, then…so be it." She paused and began to nervously fiddle with her engagement ring again. "Would it be okay if I stayed with you?" she asked._

 _Jasper smiled a bit and stepped closer so he could place a hand on her cheek. "Of course," he said. "I just…wish it didn't have to be under_ _ **these**_ _circumstances," he said, glancing toward the door, where Lynne continued to yell and rant._

 _Danielle smiled sadly. "Me, too."_

 _Jasper looked back to her, then kissed her softly on the lips. When he pulled back, it seemed as if he was contemplating saying something. Instead, he just smiled sympathetically before moving to grab a bag from her closet. "What do you need to pack?" he asked helpfully._

 _In no time at all, they had all of her necessities packed. Jasper asked her one more time if she was_ _ **really**_ _sure she wanted to go through with leaving, and after Danielle assured him that she was, he grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles, before leading her out of her bedroom. Lynne was right there, looking equal parts emotional and angry, following them down the stairs and yelling all the while._

 _"_ _Don't you_ _ **dare**_ _step out of this house, Danielle!" Lynne shouted behind them as they headed for the front door. Danielle ignored her, clinging tighter to Jasper's hand as they continued forward. "If you leave, I will_ _ **never**_ _let you come back!" Danielle still said nothing. "I will_ _ **never**_ _forgive you for this, Danielle!" Lynne said next, her voice taking on a shrill note of panic._

 _Danielle hadn't realized she had begun crying until they finally reached the front door. She turned back to Lynne, who looked blurry because of the tears in her eyes. She had made her decision, though, and she was not going to back down from it. "Goodbye, mom."_

 _She and Jasper left after that, walking determinedly to his car and throwing the bags into the trunk. He helped her into the passenger seat, then ran around to the driver's side. Lynne followed them outside, but she seemed to have given up on trying to stop them. Danielle stared at her from the passenger seat, more tears sliding down her cheeks. Lynne was crying, too, and the sight of her mother looking so broken down was almost enough to have Danielle running back to her._

 _Almost._

 _They drove to the Cullen house at top speed, Jasper holding her hand and saying soft words of encouragement the whole way. When they parked in the driveway, Jasper insisted on grabbing the bags himself. Once he had her things, they walked up to the front door and stepped inside. The first Cullen they came across was Esme, who had been lounging on the sofa and watching an old black and white movie. She took one look at Danielle and gasped, before hurrying over faster than Danielle's eyes could see._

 _"_ _It didn't go well, did it?" she asked with a frown._

 _Danielle shook her head, then promptly dissolved into tears. Esme immediately hugged her, whispering soothing words and rubbing her back._

 _"_ _Is it alright if Danielle stays with us for a while?" Jasper asked._

 _Esme nodded. "Of course," she said with hesitation. She pulled back from Danielle to brace her hands on her shoulders, before smiling comfortingly. "Come on," she said, sliding an arm around her and leading her toward the stairs. "Let's get you settled."_

 _OOO_

That had been it. She had been living with the Cullen's ever since, and she had not seen, or even _spoken,_ to her mother since moving out.

At first, she had been too angry to feel guilty about leaving home. The fact that Lynne had been so mean to Jasper and so unsupportive of their love for each other had _hurt_ , which had, in turn, made her feel angry with Lynne for being so close minded. She had felt _good_ about her decision to move out, not only because it meant she was able to live with Jasper, but also because she had felt as though she was sticking it to her mother.

But then, slowly, her anger had faded away. And as the days stretched on without any communication with Lynne, she began to feel differently about things. She had never gone so long without talking to her mother. _Never_. And every time she sat down with Alice to discuss wedding plans, she couldn't help feeling like something was _missing_. That something, of course, was Lynne. She was getting _married_. This was supposed to be the happiest time of her life. She should have had her mother by her side, supporting her and helping her and being _happy_ for her. She _missed_ her mother _._ She _needed_ her mother.

But Lynne was not around, and after the way they had left things, Danielle couldn't find the courage to reach out to her. She was afraid reaching out to her mother would end in another raging fight, and she just didn't have it in her to handle that right now, nor did she want to think what sort of damage another fight might inflict on their already fragile relationship. All in all, she just didn't know how to fix things between them. And not even Alice's supposed vision of Lynne coming to the wedding was enough to give Danielle hope that things would get better between them any time soon.

Esme walking into the dining room finally pulled Danielle away from thoughts of her mother. The vampire placed a plate of pancakes smothered in butter and syrup in front of Danielle.

"There you go. Three pancakes, as ordered," she said, looking mighty proud of herself.

Danielle managed a smile. "Thanks, Esme. You're the best."

"You're welcome. Now eat up before it gets cold," she advised, before gliding back out of the room.

As Danielle grabbed her fork and dug into her breakfast, the music downstairs shut off and they heard the garage door open. Before long, Emmett had come up to the second floor. He stepped into the dining room, covered in a generous amount of engine grease, smiling widely as he caught sight of Danielle.

"Morning, Red," he said, referring to her by what had become his new favorite nickname for her.

"Morning," she said back around a mouth full of pancake.

Emmett turned his gaze to Alice and Jasper, his gaze momentarily dropping to the papers still scattered across the table. "Good lord," he huffed, shaking his head. "You guys are _still_ going over wedding details? You've been going at it for hours!"

"Who are _you_ telling?" Jasper grumbled under his breath.

Alice shot a sharp look at Jasper before raising her brows at Emmett. "In case you've forgotten, Dani and Jasper's wedding is a _big deal._ I'm going to make sure it's absolutely _perfect_ , even if it's the last thing I do!" she said adamantly.

Emmett snorted. "Judging by the look on Jazzy-poo's face, it very well _might_ be the last thing you do, sis," he warned.

Jasper and Danielle stifled their laughter when Alice rolled her eyes dramatically. "Keep talking trash, and it might be the last thing _you_ do, Big Foot," Danielle warned.

"Nah," Emmett said, waving off the warning. "Alice can't kill me. I'm the Best Man, remember?"

He _was_ the Best Man. As much as Jasper and Emmett loved to fight with and annoy each other, they were undeniably close with one another. Jasper hadn't thought twice about asking him to be his Best Man, and Emmett had happily accepted the honor. He had been bragging about the title ever since, too.

"That's right," Alice said. "You _are_ the Best Man, yet you _still_ haven't sat down with me to talk about what duties will be expected of you on the big day," she reminded him.

Emmett shrugged. "What is there to talk about?" he asked. "I already know what I have to do. I show up dressed to the nines and looking good – which won't be _any_ trouble, _obviously_ ," he couldn't help but say with cockiness, earning himself three eye rolls. "Once the ceremony is going I make sure Jasper doesn't freak out or anything, then I get to make a killer speech at the reception," he said next. "Oh," he added, smirking gleefully now, "I also get to throw the handsome cowboy here a _bitching_ bachelor party," he added. "Does that about cover it?"

Alice and Danielle both raised their eyebrows. "There's more to it than that," Alice said with exasperation.

Danielle however, narrowed her eyes accusingly and asked, "What _kind_ of bachelor party are we talking about here?"

"The stripper kind, of course," Emmett said without hesitation.

Jasper looked over at her quickly. "Not true," he denied. "I would _never_ participate in something like that."

Danielle believed Jasper, of course, but still shot a glare at Emmett, who chuckled at her reaction.

Esme suddenly came hurrying into the dining room, a frown tugging at her lips when she caught sight of Emmett. "Emmett McCarty Cullen! You are _filthy!_ Go upstairs and clean up before you ruin my rug!" she said. "Go! Shoo!" she added, ushering him quickly out of the room.

"Oops, gotta go!" Emmett said with a smirk and a wave.

"You got away this time, but we _will_ talk about your wedding duties soon!" Alice called after the two vampires as they left. Once they were gone, Alice sighed and shook her head to herself. "He's lucky he's my brother, otherwise I would've killed him ages ago," she said. "Are you sure you're prepared to have him around for the rest of your life, Dani?" Alice then asked, jerking her thumb in the direction Emmett had gone.

Danielle shrugged, flashing a quick smile toward Jasper. "I can deal with an annoying brother-in-law, so long as it means I get Jasper," she said.

Jasper smiled and leaned over to kiss her. Alice smiled at their affection despite her irritation with Emmett, before holding up a hand. "Stop. I can't handle the cuteness from you two," she teased.

Danielle and Jasper just laughed in response, then watched as Alice started rounding up all of the papers and binders containing the details and information for the wedding. Jasper did not try to hide his sigh of relief as he realized they were finished going over plans for the time being.

"I think that's all for now," Alice said, stacking all of the items neatly. She paused to give Danielle a hopeful look. "Dani, I was thinking that since the boys will be gone hunting for a few days, maybe me, you, Bella, and Esme could go to Port Angeles and start looking at some dresses," she said. "Would you be okay with that?"

Danielle pursed her lips. The truth was that she had been putting off wedding dress shopping because it felt just _wrong_ to try on dresses without her mother there. But the wedding was coming up quick, and she knew she couldn't delay finding a dress for much longer.

"Yeah, we probably should," she finally said.

Alice squealed and clapped her hands excitedly. "Great! I'm glad you said yes, because I already made an appointment for Wednesday," she revealed with a grin. Danielle and Jasper just shared a look at that statement. Grinning to herself now, Alice finished rounding up all the papers on the table. "I'm going to head to the post office now and send out the invitations," she announced. Alice's grin faded as she huffed irritably. "These should have gone out _days_ ago, but that darn company took so long to get them made. Thank goodness most of the people coming live in Forks." Alice gave them a look. "Remind me not to use them for invitations if Bella and Edward get married."

Danielle smirked with amusement. "You got it."

She expected Alice to leave after that, but the vampire lingered a few moments longer, staring at Danielle with an expression she couldn't quite read. Finally, Alice opened the top binder in the stack of wedding information she held and grabbed something inside. "Before I go, I want you to have this," she said.

Alice leaned over to place a single envelope bearing Danielle's mother's name on the table. It was Lynne's wedding invitation. Danielle stared at the envelope, then looked up at Alice.

"You should give it to her yourself," she suggested. "It'll get you guys talking again and give you the chance to clear the air." Danielle must have had a doubtful look on her face, because Alice leaned over the table to stare her down. "Trust me, Dani," she said firmly. "It should come from you."

Danielle sighed, then finally nodded. "Okay."

Alice seemed pleased with her response. "I'll see you guys later," she said, before leaving the room.

Danielle and Jasper said goodbye to her, before falling into a comfortable silence. While Danielle ate some more of her breakfast, she stared at the envelope in front of her with wary eyes, half expecting that it would come to life and start shouting at her like a Howler from the Harry Potter series. She knew it would need to go to her mother soon – if the invitations made it to the other attendees _before_ Lynne received hers, her mother would likely jump to the conclusion that she hadn't been invited and it would just make everything a million times worse than it already was. But the thought of facing her mother was downright terrifying, so much so that it almost made her feel sick to her stomach.

She didn't realize how much her emotions had begun to spiral until Jasper sent a wave of calmness over her. "It's going to be alright, darlin'."

Danielle gave him a doubtful look. "How do _you_ know?"

"Because I know that you and Lynne love each other, and I know _neither_ of you wants this to continue on the way it has been," he stayed plainly. "Then again, I _also_ know how _stubborn_ you both are," he added, which had her quirking an eyebrow at him. "Don't even try to deny it," Jasper said, quirking a brow right back. "You said it yourself – Clark's are known for their stubbornness."

"You're not supposed to _agree_ with me about it," Danielle grumbled, her eyes trained on her plate as she pushed a piece of pancake around.

"I'm just saying it like it is," Jasper said. "We're getting married next month, which means time is running out," he continued. "Your mother is important to you, and you're not the only one who wants her to be there when we say _I do_. I want her to be there, too, Danielle."

"According to Alice, she _will_ be," Danielle reminded him.

"Alright, let me rephrase," Jasper said patiently. "I want her to be there and be _happy_ about it."

"Well, I can't guarantee she _will_ be happy about it," Danielle warned.

"Well, you won't really know until you _speak_ to her, will you?" he countered knowingly.

Danielle gave him a sour look as she reached for her coffee. "Since when are you such a know-it-all?" she huffed sarcastically.

Jasper looked unimpressed. "There's no need to be sarcastic. I'm just trying to help," he said, his tone finally betraying a hint of impatience.

Danielle looked over at him, then sighed guiltily. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be a brat," she apologized, reaching over to squeeze his knee again. "The past few weeks have just been a total whirlwind, and with the wedding coming up so fast and things still so crappy between me and my mom, I'm just…stressed out. I'm sorry for taking it out on you, Jazz," she apologized. "You're the one who's been keeping me at least _somewhat_ sane through all of this. You deserve better than for me to act like a jerk toward you."

Any annoyance Jasper had felt disappeared instantly. He pulled her closer with the arm he had around her shoulder and tilted her chin up with his free hand, smiling gently. "It's alright," he said reassuringly. "You've had a lot on your mind. I understand." He raised his eyebrows at her after that. "Just promise me you'll talk to your mother soon, alright?"

Danielle hesitated then finally nodded. "I will. I promise."

"Good," Jasper said, before leaning in to give her a sweet kiss.

* * *

When the rain finally eased up, going from a hard, steady downpour to a light mist, Danielle and Jasper decided it would be a good idea to get out of the house for a little while. They got into his car and headed for town, their destination being the grocery store so that Danielle could restock the pantry and fridge for herself. Esme had offered to go to the store for them, but Danielle had insisted on doing it herself. Cooking for her was one thing, but _shopping_ for her took it to another level. Esme had done _more_ than enough to make her feel comfortable and welcome in the Cullen house – the least Danielle could do in return was handle her own errands.

She and Jasper walked into the store hand in hand and a made a beeline for the shopping carts. Jasper dutifully took charge of the cart while Danielle led the way through the aisles, adding things to the cart at random. Jasper seemed to be doing his best not to pull any faces at the food she was grabbing, but every so often he would wrinkle his nose up in disgust whenever something she added smelled particularly gross to him.

"Oh!" Danielle said with excitement as they went past the chip aisle and she spied her favorite kind – Salt and Vinegar. "These are _the best_ ," she said, hugging the bag to her chest affectionately before tossing it into the cart.

Jasper quirked an amused brow. "You've said that about almost everything you've put in the cart, darlin'," he pointed out with a smirk.

Danielle shrugged. "What can I say? I love food," she said without remorse. They continued onto the next aisle, where she added a twelve-pack of a lemon flavored seltzer water and some sweet tea. "Do you ever miss it?" she asked curiously. "You know, eating regular food?"

Jasper pursed his lips and shook his head. "Not particularly. It's been so long that I barely remember what it tasted like as a human," he admitted. "Though it _would_ make my lifestyle a lot easier if I were able to get some sort of sustenance from it."

"True," Danielle agreed.

On the next aisle over, Jasper watched her toss in some cereal bars and instant oatmeal before smiling over at her. "You should make a list of all the meals you like the most," he suggested.

"Why?" Danielle asked.

"So that I know what to cook for you," he said as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

Danielle smiled widely. Just when she thought Jasper couldn't possibly get _anymore_ perfect, he had to go and prove her wrong yet again. "You wanna cook for me?"

Jasper shrugged. "I can't promise it will be _good,_ but I'm willing to give it a shot. Esme won't always be around to do it and I'm sure there will be times where _you_ won't want to do it either, so it seems like a good idea to learn."

Danielle frowned with confusion now. "Is Esme going somewhere?"

Jasper shook his head. "No. But we certainly won't be living in the house with the rest of the family once we're married," he said.

Well, that was news to _her_.

Danielle came to stand next to him, resting one hand on the shopping cart as she raised her brows. "Oh? And where are we gonna live instead?"

He gave her a mysterious smile as he brushed some of her hair back away from her face. "I have something in the works," he answered vaguely.

Danielle could feel her interest burning already. "You're not gonna tell me, are you?" she asked with a pout.

"Nope," he said without hesitation. When Danielle started to protest the lack of information, he leaned in closer, his eyes smoldering as they locked on hers. "Just be patient, darlin'," he said lowly, obviously sensing her impending argument. "You'll find out what it is soon enough."

The way he was looking at her combined with his close proximity made her forget what she had been about to say. In fact, it more or less made her brain turn into mush. When he finally backed off and she was able to think coherently again, she frowned at his self-satisfied smirk. He _knew_ how he affected her, and he had used that against her.

"That's really unfair, you know," she said accusingly.

"What?" Jasper asked innocently. "I didn't do anything."

Danielle let out an unladylike snort. "And I'm the queen of England," she quipped, before turning on her heel and stomping away.

Jasper just chuckled behind her as he followed her with the cart.

When they passed by the floral section, Danielle stopped to peruse the pre-arranged bouquets. She remembered how happy Esme had been the last time Danielle had brought her flowers, and suddenly she was inspired to do so again. Esme had been so good to her these past couple of weeks – she had taken care of her, had been there to listen if Danielle needed to vent, and had just all around been the supportive mother figure that Danielle had been needing since things had gone to hell in a handbasket between her and her _own_ mother. Bringing Esme flowers seemed like a good way to thank her for her support and kindness.

"Okay," Danielle said, crossing her arms over her chest as she eyed the bouquets with scrutiny. "Which one would Esme like best? She really liked the Lillies I brought last time, but I feel like I should change it up. Not roses, though," she mused aloud, tapping her chin now. "That's a little too romantic, I think. Those sunflowers are nice. So are those daisies. What do you think, babe?"

When Jasper didn't respond, Danielle glanced over at him. She realized then that Jasper hadn't listened to a word she had said. Instead, he was glaring at something in the distance, his eyes narrowed and darker than usual. Danielle followed his gaze, before frowning when she saw what he was looking at.

A group of teenagers was loitering near the end of the candy aisle about thirty feet from where she and Jasper stood. Danielle didn't know any of them by name, but it was obvious the teenagers knew _exactly_ who she and Jasper were. They were staring at them not so discreetly, whispering amongst themselves and nudging one another with their elbows. When they all started laughing, Jasper's eyes narrowed even more.

Danielle sighed heavily, knowing in an instant that the teenagers were talking about _them_. The news of her and Jasper's engagement had spread through Forks like wildfire these past few weeks, and given how young they were – or, rather, how young Danielle _actually_ was and how young people _thought_ Jasper was – and how quickly they had gotten engaged, well…a _lot_ of rumors had begun to spread. She had learned from Jessica a few days ago that the majority of the town seemed to believe that their wedding was a _shotgun_ wedding. It had become fairly common to see people giving them looks and whispering behind their hands whenever she and Jasper went out in public, which was why they had been keeping their visits into town at a minimum. With how crazy the rumor mill was going now, though, she could only imagine how much worse it was going to get whenever everyone learned how soon their wedding actually was.

Danielle moved closer to Jasper and placed a hand on his arm. "Ignore them," she said gently.

Jasper looked down at her with a raised brow. "Kind of hard to do, considering they are talking badly about the woman I love," he countered. He glanced at the teenagers again, who either didn't notice, or just didn't care, how angry Jasper was getting. "I should go over there and teach them a lesson."

Danielle immediately stepped in front of him and placed a hand on his neck, pulling with all of her might to try to force him to look at _her_ instead of the stupid teenagers down the way. "Jasper," she said firmly. He finally looked down at her. "They aren't worth it, okay? Let's just finish up here and go. Please?"

Jasper looked at her for a long moment, glanced at the snickering teenagers, then returned his gaze to her. Finally, he sighed and gave a single, curt nod. "Alright," he said, though he still looked displeased.

Danielle smiled, leaned up to kiss him quickly, then grabbed a bouquet of sunflowers and added it to the shopping cart. They then headed in the direction to the checkout line, both of them refusing to acknowledge the immature teenagers again.

She had thought that once they were home and well away from any gossiping teenagers that Jasper's mood would improve, but that wasn't the case. He was tense and quiet for the rest of the day, obviously still angry over whatever the teenagers had been saying. His bad mood did not go unnoticed by his family, but anytime they tried to ask him what was bothering him, he simply waved off their questions and insisted that he didn't want to talk about it. Danielle wisely kept mum on the subject as well, knowing fully well how fiercely protective the Cullen's were and knowing that they would only get just as angry as Jasper if they found out what had happened. One irritable vampire was hard enough to reason with as it was – she didn't think she would be able to talk down an entire _coven_.

Much later that night, when she and Jasper were alone in his room, she stood in the doorway of the bathroom, leaning against the doorframe and watching as Jasper packed a small bag for his hunting trip. The frown that had been on his face all evening was still there, making his forehead crease and pulling his lips downward. Danielle sighed, unsure what she could do or say to make him feel better.

"Where did y'all decide to go?" she asked to break the silence, hoping a little conversation might help distract him.

"North, to Canada," he answered, folding up a shirt and stuffing it into his bag.

"And you _have_ to leave tonight?" she asked with a sigh.

Jasper shrugged. "We may move fast, but we still draw less attention to ourselves when we move at night," he said.

Danielle nodded slowly, then gave him a small smile. "I'll miss you," she told him.

Jasper finally stopped what he was doing to lift his gaze to hers. "I will miss you, too," he said with a nod. "We won't be gone for long, though. I'll be back before you know it."

"Not soon enough," she countered.

Jasper said nothing to that, just flashed a small smile and resumed packing his bag. It wasn't long before the frown was on his face again, though, and the moment she saw it return, Danielle pushed away from the doorframe and went to stand behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and molding herself to his back.

"I wish you wouldn't let those idiots get under your skin," she said with a sigh.

Jasper froze, then let out a heavy exhale as he turned around to face her. "I try not to…but you didn't hear what they were _saying,_ Danielle," he said with a frown. "If people want to say bad things about _me_ , that's fine. But I will not stand for people talking about _you_. You don't deserve the things people in town have been saying, Danielle."

Danielle just huffed and shook her head. "Well, you know what I say about all those gossipers? _Screw them,"_ she said vehemently. "Let them talk. They don't know anything about us, _or_ our relationship."

"Danielle – " he started to say.

"They don't matter, Jazz," she interrupted firmly. "All that matters is that we love each other and that we're getting married. We don't owe anybody an explanation, least of all a bunch of stupid kids that have nothing better to do but gossip by the candy aisle. So don't let them get to you, okay?"

Jasper looked at her for a long moment, before letting out a long sigh. "I'll _try_ to ignore it, if that's what you want…but I cannot promise I won't say something if I overhear anything like that again," he added.

Danielle smiled. "Good enough," she said.

Jasper pulled her closer and leaned down to press his forehead against hers. A few beats of silence passed before he pulled away to give her a serious look. "What do you think about going away after the wedding?" he asked suddenly.

"We _are_ going away after the wedding," she said, thinking of the honeymoon that they already had planned. They were jetting off to a private island owned by the Cullen's, which Carlisle had affectionately named Isle Esme. The trip had been a gift from Carlisle and Esme, who had wanted the two of them to have a place where they could truly be alone and where Jasper could truly be himself.

"I mean _after_ the honeymoon," Jasper said. "I just want to get away from Forks for a while. Get away from all the gossip and the scrutiny," he confessed. "It would be just the two of us. We can go anywhere in the world. Anywhere you want."

Danielle took a moment to consider it. The thought of travelling didn't sound bad – they had already agreed to take a year off before enrolling in college together, so why not use that time to travel the world? "Would your family be alright with that?" she asked skeptically.

"I'm sure they will understand," he said with a nod.

Danielle nodded slowly. "I'm certainly not opposed to the idea of traveling. I adore your family, but I definitely like the idea of having you all to myself for a while," she admitted, which made him smile. "Why don't we discuss it more when you get back from your hunt?" she suggested.

"Alright," Jasper agreed.

Danielle smiled, then slid her arms around his neck. "Now," she continued, "seeing as you're going to be gone for a few _torturously_ long days, I think we should make the most of the time we have left."

Jasper tilted his head curiously, his eyes lighting with interest. "And how would you suggest we do that?" he asked.

Danielle gave him a meaningful look, her fingers toying with the hairs at the nape of his neck. "Kiss me like you miss me, Major Whitlock."

Jasper didn't need to be told twice. He leaned in to kiss her, his lips sweet and gentle at first. But it wasn't long at before he was holding her a little tighter, his lips moving against her with more urgency. Danielle pressed closer to him, unable to help the small moan of pleasure that welled up in her throat. When he pulled his mouth from her to trail kisses down the line of her jaw, she tilted her head backward, giving him all the access he wanted as he kissed his way down to her neck.

In a moment of bravery, she pushed against his chest. She couldn't move him of course, but he felt the pressure and pulled back, his eyes dark as he peered at her in silent question. Danielle smirked and pushed him again, until he sat on the bed behind him. Once he was seated, she braced her hands on his shoulders and sat so that she was straddling his lap, making his eyes widen with surprise. She knew she was being very brazen, and she knew that she was likely pushing the boundaries that Jasper had firmly set into place in regards to their physical relationship, but she didn't really care in that moment.

She placed her hands on his neck and caught his lips in another fiery kiss. Despite his surprise, Jasper let out a low groan and planted his hands on her hips, pulling her even closer. Desire crashed through her, though whether that was her own desire or his, she couldn't say for certain. Heat began to engulf them, making their lips move with more urgency as they kissed like their lives depended upon it.

Finally, Jasper pulled away. She shivered when she saw that his eyes had gone dark with desire. "We need to stop," he said, his voice husky but his tone firm.

"Is that what you want?" she asked, pressing light kisses to his jaw and chin.

"No," he answered honestly. "But if we do not stop now, I won't be able to stop at all. We agreed to wait until the wedding, and I will not break that arrangement, no matter _how_ tempting you are making the idea right now."

Danielle sighed, then pulled back to look at him, unable to help feeling a little disappointed. She completely understood why he wanted to wait – he wanted the first time they made love to be perfect and special, and wanted it to be on the night they married. She also knew he wanted to wait a little longer because, deep down, he was _scared_ of what might happen when they _did_ take their relationship to that level of intimacy. But still…just because she understood, that didn't mean she didn't get frustrated from time to time. She loved Jasper. She _wanted_ Jasper. And when he set her ablaze only to pull away before things could go any further, well…needless to say, she had gotten quite familiar with cold showers.

"You're too noble for your own good sometimes," she said with a small smile.

Jasper smirked. "If you had any idea what sort of thoughts I was having right now, you wouldn't think me so noble anymore," he said, his eyes burning with heat.

Danielle sucked in a shaky breath at those words, then sighed and held him tightly as he leaned in to kiss her again, this time keeping it sweet and innocent. He finally pulled away when a knock sounded on the door.

"C'mon, dude," Emmett said through the door. "Let's go get Ed and get this party started."

"Be right out," Jasper said back.

With that being said, Danielle reluctantly disentangled herself from him, instantly feel cold and bereft once she was no longer in his arms. Jasper stood from the bed to grab his bag and sling it over his shoulder. Then he went back to Danielle and pulled her into his arms again, hugging her tightly.

"I'll be back in a few days. I'll have my phone, so if anything happens or if you need me, just call," he said.

"Okay," she said, though she knew she wouldn't bother him while he was gone. His hunting trips were crucial, and she wouldn't dare do anything to make him cut it short. "Be safe, alright?"

"I will be," he promised.

Jasper wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and gave her a long kiss. "I love you," he murmured against her lips.

"I love you, too. Now go before I don't let you," she said, pushing against him gently.

Jasper gave her one last lingering kiss, before finally letting her go and heading for the door. He flashed one last smile at her over his shoulder, then left the room, closing the door behind him. Once she was alone, Danielle sighed and ran a hand through her hair, before flopping backwards onto the bed. She closed her eyes, feeling as though she could still feel Jasper's lips against her own, as though she could still _taste_ him on her lips. The desire still simmering in her veins burned a little bit hotter at the memory, making Danielle turn and bury her face into the pillow, a groan of frustration escaping her.

It was going to be a very _long_ and _lonely_ night. But first, it was time to take a cold shower.

* * *

 **Yay! We're back!**

 **So when I originally posted** ** _The Breaking Bough_** **like a bajillion years ago, it covered both New Moon** ** _and_** **Eclipse. I plan to do the same thing now, but I've already written a lot of new content, so Part Two is likely going to be quite a bit longer than Part One. Something tells me you guys will be fine with that! There isn't much else to say, I suppose, but I will warn you guys that there will likely be more** ** _mature_** **situations happening the further we go along. It won't be anything explicit, though.**

 **Anyway, thank you to everyone for your support and your kind words! I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story as we go along! You all rock!**


	22. Chapter Twenty-one

**I was planning to wait until the weekend to post this, but I'm feeling generous today! So here's a quick update as a thank you to all of you readers for being so awesome! Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I own nothing related to the Twilight franchise, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Two_

 _Mirrors. There were mirrors all around her._

 _Danielle whipped back and forth, her reflection turning every which direction as she searched for a way out of the maze of reflective glass. She finally saw an opening and moved that way, hurrying through a dark space between two mirrors, hoping it would take her out of this confusing place. She stopped short, however, when she realized she had not found the exit. Instead, she was surrounded by even_ _ **more**_ _mirrors, each a different shape and size, each one making her reflection look distorted and strange._

 _Panic began to settle in. It was an endless, confusing labyrinth, one she was beginning to think she would never find her way out of._

 _A flash of color in her peripheral vision had her head whipping toward the left. She could have_ _ **sworn**_ _something had just been there, but all she could see now was her own reflection, her eyes narrowed with uncertainty as she stared at herself in confusion. Another flash, this time to the right, had her whipping around again. But, again, there was nothing to see but her own, familiar face staring back at her in the mirror. She could not shake the feeling that she_ _ **wasn't**_ _alone, though. Someone else was nearby. Someone was lurking just past the reaches of her vision._

 _There was a whistle of wind behind her, and then something bumped her from behind. Danielle stumbled forward, then turned around quickly, looking for the source of whatever had just hit her, but nothing was there. And then…that was when she heard it._

 _Cold, dark laughter, echoing all through the air around her._

" _Silly human," a voice hissed, a hint of amusement still clinging to its tone._

 _Danielle stiffened, her entire body feeling as though it had been doused in ice-cold water. She_ _ **knew**_ _that voice, and she knew immediately who was with her in this room. Knew who was_ _ **toying**_ _with her._

" _Go away!" she shouted into the room, her hands clenched into fists. "You're_ _ **dead**_ _! Jasper and Edward killed you!"_

" _Am I really though?" James countered, his voice still eerie and disembodied. "I once read somewhere that one is not_ _ **truly**_ _dead until all of those who knew his name have forgotten him," he said, and she could practically hear the smirk that was undoubtedly on his face. "And I can assure you, Danielle, that there is one person in particular who has_ _ **not**_ _forgotten me."_

 _Everything went very quiet. Danielle stood there in the midst of all the mirrors, her heart pounding against her ribs as she waited for something to happen, her eyes darting all around as she tried to catch a glimpse of James and figure out where he was._

 _A snarl ripped through the air on her right, making Danielle shout with fright and jump away. She flattened herself to a mirror, her eyes wide as a blur of color rushed at her. The next thing she knew, a vampire was inches from her face. It wasn't James. This vampire was female, with a feral look to her and shockingly orange-red hair. Burgundy eyes narrowed into slits as she stared back at Danielle, her lips pulling into a smile that revealed razor sharp teeth._

" _Remember me?" Victoria asked._

 _Before she could say or do anything, Victoria grabbed her, wrapping a hand around her throat and lifting her clear off the ground. Danielle's hands scrambled to loosen Victoria's grip, her eyes wide as her air supply was cut off. Victoria seemed content to watch her struggle for a second or two before she cocked her head to the side, as if she had just thought of something. Without warning, Victoria turned and threw her, cackling evilly as Danielle crashed into the mirror and then tumbled to the floor. Danielle cried out as pain seared through her body, unable to duck out of the way as glass rained down onto her, cutting into her skin. She lay there whimpering until she heard the sound of glass crunching underneath boots, then she looked up to see Victoria sauntering over._

" _Silly little human," she said in an almost sing-song voice. "So fragile. So_ _ **breakable**_ _."_

 _Danielle glanced down at the glass shards around her, then picked up the biggest one she could find to hold it in front of her defensively. "Go away! Leave me alone!"_

 _Victoria threw her head back with laughter. She was not the only one laughing, though. James was back, his reflection appearing in every single mirror around them, his laughter magnified and echoing all around as he cackled along with his mate. Danielle trembled as he peered down at her from every direction, the gleam in his eyes just as cruel and just as ruthless as she remembered._

" _You'd never be able to defeat us. You're too_ _ **weak**_ _," James taunted. "And it looks like you don't have your precious Jasper around to save you either, do you?"_

 _Danielle glanced around, as if she hoped Jasper would appear out of thin air. "Jasper! Jasper! Help!" she cried out, knowing he would come for her if he could hear that she was in trouble. "_ _ **Help**_ _!"_

 _James and Victoria just kept laughing. "He isn't here," James said with a shake of his head. "He can't help you now. You're_ _ **ours**_ _."_

 _Victoria suddenly dropped into a crouch, snarling viciously as she locked her gaze on Danielle. In a last ditch effort to try to prevent what was surely about to happen, Danielle lurched up to her feet and took off, finding a gap between two mirrors to dart through._

 _The maze of mirrors continued as Danielle ran for her life, and though they made her feel dizzy and disoriented, she forced herself to keep going. An ear-splitting crash made her glance back to see that Victoria had just busted her way straight through one of the mirrors, sending glass shooting every which direction. The vampire let loose a predatory hiss before running after Danielle. Cursing, Danielle pushed her legs harder, forced herself to run faster._

 _She was hit_ _ **hard**_ _in the back. Danielle went sailing through the air, only to hit another mirror and fall to the ground. Before she could even register the new pains springing up in her body, Victoria forced her around so that she was lying on her back. Danielle tried to get up, but Victoria planted a foot on her ribs so that she couldn't go anywhere._

" _Stupid human," she hissed, shaking her head. "I'm very much going to enjoy this."_

" _Go to hell!" Danielle growled back, pushing at Victoria's booted foot to no avail._

 _James appeared in the mirrors around them again, only this time there was no humor on his face. His eyes were black, and his expression was severe. "Drain her, my love," he hissed to Victoria._

 _Victoria looked at James and nodded, before setting her sights on Danielle. With a loud hiss that made all of the hair on Danielle's neck stand up, she crouched over her, digging a rough hand into Danielle's hair. Danielle cried out as Victoria yanked her head back, exposing her throat. Then, as she lay there helpless and heaving, Victoria bared her teeth and sank them into Danielle's neck, making her scream with pain._

"Dani! Dani, _wake up_!"

Danielle jerked awake. For a few disoriented seconds she lay there heaving for air and covered in sweat, her eyes wide as she continued to see Victoria and the mirror labyrinth before her, despite not being in the dream world anymore. When she blinked and her surroundings finally began to register, she realized there actually _was_ a vampire leaning over her. Thinking it as Victoria, Danielle let out a shriek and began to fight against the strong hands holding her arms. The grip tightened, stilling her movements.

"Dani, it's _me_! It's _Alice_!" a familiar voice said with urgency.

Danielle blinked again, and Alice came into sharp focus. The vampire looked frightened and concerned as she peered down at her. "Alice?" she asked in confusion, almost afraid that her mind was playing some sort of trick on her.

Alice smiled gently and nodded. "Yes, Dani," she confirmed. "You're okay," she said soothingly. "You're _safe_."

Danielle pulled her gaze from Alice's to glance around. The mirror labyrinth was gone. She was no longer in that confusing, disorienting place where James and Victoria were free to do whatever they wanted with her. It was still dark outside, but even in the dim lighting, she could clearly see that she was in Jasper's room. As she took in the familiar surroundings and breathed in the scent of pine that always clung to Jasper, she felt the tension begin to leave her body.

Danielle closed her eyes and took a steadying breath. Having nightmares about James and Victoria was nothing new – she had had _several_ dreams about the two terrifying vampires over the course of the past few months. They had come more frequently in the beginning, when everything that had happened in Phoenix was still very fresh in her mind. But after a while, the dreams had eased up to where she wasn't having them so frequently, which had been a massive relief. Up until tonight, it had been nearly a month since she had had any nightmares. And though it hadn't been that long, she had forgotten how intense they could be. How _terrifying_ they could be.

Danielle finally sat up under Alice's watchful gaze. Her heart was still pounding and her ankle, for reasons unbeknownst to her, was throbbing with pain. It was around that time that Danielle realized she and Alice were _not_ alone. Carlisle and Esme were in the room too, standing just at the foot of the bed and looking highly concerned. Even Rosalie was there, lingering in the doorway and looking unsure whether or not she should come any closer.

Embarrassment rushed through Danielle. To her knowledge, the Cullen's were unaware that she was having nightmares about the nomads…or, at least, they _had_ been unaware up until now. If she had drawn the attention of everyone in the house, then she must have been having a very bad – and very _loud –_ reaction to her dream. To think that her future in-laws had seen her fighting off ghosts and screaming at no one was downright _mortifying_.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice shaking as she raked a hand through her hair. "I…I didn't mean to disturb anyone."

Esme came to stand beside Danielle, leaning over to grab Danielle's hand and give it an encouraging pat once she was close enough to do so. "You have _nothing_ to be sorry for," she said sympathetically. She shared a worried look with Alice, before turning a questioning frown on Danielle. "Are you…alright?" she asked carefully.

"I'm fine. Though my ankle does hurt a little," she admitted.

"You kicked Alice while she was trying to wake you up," Carlisle said, which made Danielle feel a whole new round of mortification. "I should probably take a look at it, make sure you did not aggravate anything," he said, looking down at her ankle with mild concern.

Danielle shook her head and waved him off. It was the middle of the night, she was still out of sorts from the nightmare, and all she wanted to do was curl up and try to put the faces of James and Victoria out of her mind. She wasn't really feeling up for poked and prodded by Carlisle, despite his good intentions.

"I'm okay, Carlisle," she reassured.

Carlisle frowned. "Are you certain?" he asked, looking unconvinced. After Danielle nodded her head, he finally let loose a long sigh. "Alright," he conceded, though he still looked concerned.

Esme squeezed her hand, drawing Danielle's attention back to her. "Do you need anything?" Esme asked. "Is there anything we can do?"

Danielle shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I just…need a moment to collect myself."

"Okay," Esme said understandingly.

There was a beat of silence, where the Cullen's didn't seem to know what to do or say and where Danielle couldn't find it in herself to meet anyone's eyes. Finally, Carlisle spoke.

"Perhaps we should give Dani some privacy?" he suggested gently.

Esme looked as though she really didn't want to leave, but she soon nodded and released Danielle's hand. She offered one last comforting smile before rejoining Carlisle, who inclined his head to Danielle and then turned to leave with his wife. Rosalie lingered in the doorway after Carlisle and Esme left, her expression difficult to read, but eventually she, too, disappeared. When Alice slowly got up to follow her family, however, Danielle quickly reached out to grab her wrist, which made her stop.

"Stay with me?" Danielle asked quietly. She found that she didn't want to be alone just yet.

Alice smiled and nodded, before climbing back into bed with Danielle. When Alice sat with her back against the headboard, Danielle followed her suit, sitting the same way. With a sigh, she leaned her head against Alice's shoulder, breathing in the scent of jasmine that she always associated with the beautiful vampire. Alice let Danielle lean against her, hesitating only a fraction before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her into a comforting hug.

They sat that way in silence for a few minutes, before Danielle finally cleared her throat and lifted her head to look at Alice with apology. "I'm sorry for kicking you," she apologized.

Alice smiled gently and shook her head. "It's fine. You didn't hurt me," she said.

Danielle returned the smile half-heartedly, before raising her brows at Alice. "How bad was it?" she asked.

Alice frowned. "We could hear you mumbling to yourself in your sleep. But then you started crying out for Jasper and yelling for help, and we…got concerned," she explained. "By the time we came to see what was going on, you looked like you were wrestling with a ghost or something. I thought you were going to throw yourself clear off the bed," she said, her frown deepening. "We were worried you'd really hurt yourself, so I woke you up."

Danielle just nodded slowly in response. It sounded similar to the way Jasper had said she had reacted to her nightmares in the past. Alice looked down at her, her expression still one of concern, and tilted her head curiously.

"This wasn't the first dream like this that you've had, is it?" Alice asked.

Danielle looked at her, then shook her head. "No," she admitted honestly. "But I don't have them as much anymore. This is the first one I've had in a while."

Alice seemed bothered to learn that these dreams had been a regular occurrence. "What do you think triggered it?" she asked curiously.

Danielle shrugged. "I dunno. Sometimes they just _happen_. If I had to guess, though, I'm thinking it has something to do with the fact that Jasper isn't here," she said. "I rarely have nightmares when he's around. He keeps me sane, you know?" she explained with a small smile. It wasn't long before that smile fell though, leaving Danielle to frown and sigh tiredly as she rubbed her eyes. "God. How pathetic am I? Not even one full day apart and I'm already turning into a mess without him."

"You're not pathetic," Alice said with a shake of her head. She squeezed Danielle's shoulders and raised her eyebrows. "Do you want to call Jasper?" she asked. "Would that make you feel better?"

Danielle immediately shook her head. "No. If I call him he'll just get worried and probably end up coming back early. He needs to hunt. I'm not gonna bother him with something like this." Danielle closed her eyes for a moment, then exhaled slowly. "I just need to…clear my head. And then try to get back to sleep," she said with a nod of finality.

Alice hesitated, but then finally nodded her head. "Okay," she said. "Do you want me to stay until you fall asleep?"

Danielle gave her a hopeful look. "You wouldn't mind?" she asked.

Alice smiled. "Of course not," she said.

Danielle smiled, then rested her head back on Alice's shoulder. Alice was no Jasper, but it still felt comforting to be able to – literally – lean on someone she was close with for support. They sat in comfortable silence for a long while, Danielle resting against Alice while Alice kept a comforting arm around her shoulders. It took a lot of effort to push away the lingering images of James and Victoria their maze of horror, but when she finally did, it wasn't long at all before sleep claimed her once more.

* * *

It was a bit of an awkward morning in the Cullen house.

Though she had hoped they would not still be thinking about her nightmare, it became pretty clear to her the moment she went downstairs that the Cullen's were _definitely_ still thinking about it. Esme, who was cooking her breakfast yet again, was even more gentle and motherly than usual, hugging Danielle tightly when she came into the kitchen and treating her as if she was a helpless little kitten that needed to be protected. Alice wasn't so obvious about her worry for Danielle, but Danielle did catch her watching her a with a certain look of sympathy when their paths crossed. Rosalie was, as usual, a bit difficult to read, but she too kept shooting looks in Danielle's direction, as if the vampire thought she was a ticking time bomb or something.

The only one who acted normally around her was Carlisle. He wasn't due to go to the hospital for work, so he sat with her at the dining table while she ate breakfast, reading the morning paper and making idle conversation with her. He never once asked her about her nightmare, nor about James or Victoria, which she was immensely grateful for. She didn't feel up for talking about it and wanted nothing more than to just put it out of her mind, so she was glad he made no attempts to pry.

Danielle happily chatted away with Carlisle, grateful for the distraction their conversation provided. When she finished her plate and stood to take it back to the kitchen, however, she couldn't contain the wince that crossed her face when she put pressure on her bad ankle. Kicking Alice in her sleep the night before had definitely left her recovering ankle feeling more sore than usual. She cringed with pain and hesitated by the table, bracing a hand on the shiny surface for support as she lifted her foot from the ground again so as not to put anymore weight on it. Unfortunately, none of this went unnoticed by Carlisle, who immediately put his newspaper down to look at her with worry.

"Your ankle?" he asked.

Danielle nodded. "It's a little tender this morning," she confessed.

Carlisle blinked up at her, then sighed and stood from his chair.

"Dani, I really _must_ insist that you allow me to look at your ankle," he said, this time using a tone that said he would not take no for an answer. "It is likely that nothing too serious has happened, but it would be good for me to examine it, just to make sure." He stepped closer and offer her his arm. "Please. Come with me," Carlisle said imploringly. "It will give me peace of mind to know that you are alright."

Danielle looked at him, then, after finally deciding that there was no use being stubborn about it, she nodded in agreement. She linked her arm with his, using him for support as he led her out of the dining room and toward his office. Alice, who was in the living room, noticed their movement and sat up a little straighter on the couch, her eyebrows knitting together with concern.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Just doing a quick assessment of her ankle," Carlisle said with a reassuring nod.

Alice nodded, then settled back on the couch. Danielle and Carlisle continued into his office, where he led her to sit in one of the chairs sitting next to his desk. He left her to close the door, ensuring them privacy, then came back to rejoin her. He kneeled down on the floor in front of her, gently taking hold of her walking boot as he looked up at her.

"May I?" he asked.

Danielle nodded in permission. Carlisle gently took off her walking boot and set it off to the side, before raising her ankle a little higher to inspect the it was studious eyes. Danielle watched as he gently poked and prodded at her ankle, her own eyes drawn to the scar that had been leftover from her surgery. Carlisle carefully moved her foot around, testing the flexibility of the ankle and watching her for her reaction. She winced once or twice, but was otherwise able to handle the movements well enough.

"It's a little swollen. Not surprising, given the fact that kicking Alice is more or less the equivalent of kicking a boulder," he said with a small smile. "What is your pain level?" Carlisle asked next.

"Not too bad. Maybe a four?" she said.

Carlisle nodded. "I do not think we have anything to be too worried about," he said with a nod. "A little ice and a little rest should take care of it."

Danielle nodded, then gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you for checking it out," she said.

"You are welcome," Carlisle said as he stood to his full height. "I feel better knowing nothing is seriously wrong. Besides, if something _had_ happened to your ankle and I _didn't_ look you over, I'm sure Jasper would have been quite furious with me," he added with a lighthearted chuckle.

Danielle sighed and shook her head, though she couldn't help smiling to herself. "I'd say you're wrong, but I think it would be a lie. Jasper's been a little overprotective since the whole James thing," she said with a shrug.

"Understandable, of course," Carlisle said. "It was a traumatic experience for everyone involved. It was bound to have some lasting effects."

Danielle had to lift a brow at Carlisle's choice of words. "Are we talking about Jasper still, or about my little episode last night?" she asked bluntly, unsure if there was a double meaning behind his statement or not.

Carlisle leaned against his desk, his arms crossing over his chest. "If you wish to talk about it, I am happy to listen," he offered.

It wasn't really an answer to her question, but she didn't see the point in calling him out on it. "There isn't much to say," she said with a sigh. "Sometimes I have bad dreams, sometimes I don't. I _was_ kind of hoping you guys wouldn't find out about it, though."

"Why?" Carlisle asked curiously.

Danielle shrugged and tried hard not to blush. "I dunno. I guess it's just… _embarrassing_."

"Dani, you went through something horrific. You could have been _killed_ ," he reminded her. "You do not need to be embarrassed that you have been having nightmares. We would _never_ cast judgement on you for something like that."

Danielle instantly felt silly for ever thinking otherwise. "I know. And I'm sorry for doubting y'all. I guess it's just a sensitive subject, you know?"

Carlisle nodded. "I understand," he said. "I am certain they are not easy to deal with, and I am sorry they have returned."

Danielle started to thank him for his comforting words, but then blinked with surprise when she realized what he had actually said – if he knew they had _returned_ , then he had known she had been having them previously. But how?

"Jasper told me of your nightmares several weeks ago," Carlisle admitted, as if he could read her mind. "He often comes to me when he finds himself in need of advice. He has confided in me about quite a _few_ things, actually," he explained.

She couldn't say she was surprised to hear it. She knew exactly how much Jasper respected and looked up to Carlisle. Why _wouldn't_ he turn to the person who was his father figure whenever he needed help figuring something out?

"The nightmares worry him, then?" Danielle asked.

Carlisle nodded. "He does not like the thought of James continuing to torture you from beyond the grave," he said. "But as I told Jasper, you went through a very stressful experience. I would be _more_ surprised if you were _not_ having episodes like this."

"They'll go away eventually, though, right?" Danielle asked hopefully.

"I suspect they will," Carlisle said with a nod. "It may take more time than you are happy with, but hopefully someday you will be able to put James out of your mind for good."

Danielle nodded slowly, then pursed her lips as Victoria's face flashed through her mind. "To be honest, it's not just James that I dream about," she confessed. "In fact, a lot of the time it isn't even _him_ attacking me. Usually it's…Victoria," she said. "I think about her from time to time, wonder where she is and what she's doing." Danielle shook her head. "I guess I just keep waiting for her to show up again. It's like there's something in my gut that keeps saying we haven't seen the last of her."

It was a feeling she had had for a while now, but this was the first time she had voiced it aloud. She watched as Carlisle considered what she had said, humming thoughtfully to himself. "I would be lying if I said I did not think of Victoria from time to time myself," he told her. "But there has been no sign of her being anywhere near Forks since the incident in March, and Alice has not seen her attempting to make contact with you _or_ Bella. I do not believe she is a threat."

Danielle _really_ wanted to believe him. She would love to think that Victoria would take what had happened to James as a warning to keep her distance and that she would be too afraid to try anything. But deep down, she couldn't help thinking that Victoria would want revenge for James's death. And just because Alice hadn't seen her coming, that didn't mean Victoria wasn't coming anyway. The nomad knew how Alice's visions worked, which meant she could use that knowledge to her advantage and keep Alice from learning her _true_ plans, just as James had done in Phoenix when he had kidnapped her. Victoria could be planning to come after her and Bella, or any one of the Cullen's, and they wouldn't know it until it was too late.

Danielle shook her head at those thoughts. She told herself not to get carried away, that she was just being extra paranoid today because of the dream she had had last night. Victoria was gone, Carlisle had said it himself, and things _had_ been very quiet around Forks for the past few months. Maybe, if they were lucky, they _had_ seen the last of Victoria.

"I hope you're right," she finally said to Carlisle. "I don't wanna think what might happen if you were wrong."

"Nor do I," Carlisle agreed with a small frown. "Just out of curiosity, have you expressed these fears about Victoria to Jasper?"

Danielle shook his head. "Between my nightmares about the nomads, the wedding, my issues with my mom, _and_ the people in town just generally being a bunch of _a-holes_ , I figured he had enough to worry about without me adding Victoria into the mix."

Carlisle nodded slowly, his eyes quickly flashing with sympathy. "Yes, I would say you _both_ have quite a bit on your plates at the moment," he agreed. "I couldn't help overhearing something you and Jasper were talking about last night. Something about some kids in town giving you trouble yesterday?"

Danielle nodded. "There was a group of highschoolers talking bad about us in the grocery store. I don't know what they said, but it was enough to _really_ piss Jasper off," she revealed. "That's why he was so upset last night."

"I cannot say I blame him," Carlisle said. "I myself have heard a few things around the hospital that made it difficult for me to hold my tongue," he admitted with a frown.

Danielle just shrugged helplessly. "That's just how this town is, unfortunately. Gossip is everyone's favorite hobby."

"Yes, that does appear to be the case," Carlisle said with a sigh. "If you have not discovered this already, you will soon find that our family attracts gossip like moths to a flame. We have endured _decades_ of listening to people come up with all sorts of outlandish rumors about us." Carlisle shook his head, then gave her a small shrug. "My best advise to you is to just ignore it," he said. "The more you feed into, the worse it gets."

"I _do_ ignore it, for the most part," Danielle said. "It's _Jasper_ who's having a hard time letting things slide off his shoulders."

"Yes, well…he's usually a fairly level-headed vampire, but he does not take kindly to people wronging our family," Carlisle said, shaking his head. "And he _especially_ does not take kindly to people wronging _you_."

"Yeah. I've noticed," Danielle responded with a quirk of her brow.

She rubbed her face for a second, then sighed heavily. "I'll just be glad when all of the hooplah surrounding the wedding is over with," Danielle told him. "Once the wedding is over and people realize we _aren't_ trying to cover up an accidental pregnancy, Forks will forget about us and maybe we'll be able to just have some peace and quiet for a change," she said with a weary sigh.

Carlisle smiled and reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "I know it has been a stressful time, Dani, but whatever you do, do not let the gossip and the rumors ruin the wedding," he said with a firm nod. "It's going to be a _wonderful_ occasion, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are _beyond_ excited to have you as permanent member of our family."

Danielle smiled, feeling touched and encouraged by his words. "Thank you, Carlisle. It means a lot to hear you say that."

"It's the truth," he insisted with a nod and a smile.

He released her shoulder and crossed his arms again, his expression going a bit more serious after a second or two Carlisle seemed to be contemplating asking her something, only he seemed hesitant to actually do so.

"Something else on your mind, Carlisle?" Danielle prompted.

Carlisle nodded slowly. "Yes, actually," he admitted. "There is something I have been meaning to ask you about, only I did not want to overstep any boundaries," he said. "Jasper confided in me about something else a while back. He mentioned the two of you have been discussing the possibility of you becoming one of _us_."

Danielle sat a little straighter in her chair at the change in conversation. Her possibly becoming a vampire was not a subject she had discussed with any of the Cullen's yet.

"Yes," she said, nodding her head and wringing her hands together nervously. "We've talked about it."

Carlisle gave her a curious look. "Have you come to a decision yet?"

The truth was the even now, nearly four months after Jasper had first proposed the idea to her, she _still_ had not given an official answer. They had talked about it at great length and weighed the pros and cons several times, but even after all of that, it was hard to make a choice. Admittedly, between graduation and their fast-approaching wedding, the subject of her becoming a vampire had gotten shoved to the back burner. Thankfully for her, though, Jasper was patient and understanding, and he seemed to be in no rush for her decide what she wanted to do, which helped take a lot of the pressure off.

"I haven't," she confessed to Carlisle. "Every time I think I know what I want to do, I find myself backtracking and rethinking everything. It's…been a really tough decision to make."

"Yes, I would imagine so," Carlisle agreed. "The rest of us…we did not have much say in the matter when it came to our _own_ transitions into vampires," he told her with a small shake of his head. "To _willingly_ choose this life, to know exactly what you would be forfeiting...that is certainly difficult to digest."

Danielle nodded quickly. She then released a sigh and ran a hand through her curls. "There's a big part of me that wants to say yes," she admitted. "I love Jasper. I want to be with him for _ever_. We have a wonderful relationship now, but I know that, logically speaking, everything about us would be _much_ easier if I was a vampire, too. If we were… _equals_ , so to speak," she said. "I also know that Alice has seen me as a vampire already, so there's that to consider, too."

"But?" Carlisle prompted, knowing there was more.

"But," Danielle continued, "if I turn, I'll be saying goodbye to…a lot. My friends. My way of life. My… _mother_ ," she said, a deep frown pulling at her lips as Lynne's face flashed through her mind. She shook her head, then looked back to Carlisle. "According to Jasper, I'd be saying goodbye to _myself_ for a while, too. I'm just…not sure I'm ready to give all of that up yet."

Carlisle nodded as he considered what she had said. "You know, if you _do_ decide to turn, you would not have to do so straight away," he pointed out. "In fact, I would highly suggest waiting and taking the time to enjoy your time with Jasper while you are still… _you_."

Danielle made a thoughtful noise as she realized he made a good point. Every time she considered turning, she always thought of it in terms of becoming a vampire right after they married. But they didn't _have_ to do that. She could wait a year, maybe two – hell, maybe even _three_. They could take all the time they wanted to _enjoy_ just being married and being together before taking the plunge into vampirism.

"I actually never thought of it like that," she admitted sheepishly. "There's no need to rush it, right? We can wait and just enjoy being married."

Carlisle smiled. "Exactly," he agreed. "As for the subject of what you would be saying goodbye to – or rather _who_ you would be saying goodbye to – well... that _does_ present some problems," he continued. "As a newborn, you will not be yourself for some time. You will be ruled by instinct, blood thirsty and, quite frankly, _too dangerous_ to be anywhere near a human for a very long time," he said. "We would help you through the transition, of course, teach you how to control your hunger. In time, you will begin to find yourself again. But even once you do, your mother and your friends knowing the truth of our world is very risky. Not just for us, but for _them_ as well."

"How do you mean?" Danielle asked unsurely.

Carlisle frowned and shook his head. "It is a complicated tale, one that I do not feel comfortable telling you without Jasper present. I think it best to save _that_ conversation for another day," he explained with a firm nod.

Danielle was even _more_ curious to know what he was talking about, but since it was obvious he wasn't going to go into detail, she decided not to push the issue. "Alright, then…"

Carlisle smiled a bit, then resumed speaking. "Anyway, as I said, your mother knowing the truth about us is far too dangerous. If you were to become a vampire, you would _never_ be able to outright tell her what you are. However, your mother is _not_ an ignorant woman," he said with a tilt of his head.

"She would definitely know something was different about me," Danielle interjected with a nod. "I'd never be able to hide it from her."

"No, you would not," Carlisle agreed. "But something tells me you would not be very partial to her believing you are _dead_ , either, especially after what took place in Phoenix." When Danielle vehemently shook her head, Carlisle nodded to himself and sighed quietly. "It seems we have ourselves quite the predicament here, don't we?"

Danielle nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'd say so."

Carlisle took a moment to think about it, then shrugged. "I have given this a lot of thought already, but I will admit that I still do not know what the answer is, Dani. But know that if you choose this life, if there is a way for you to be a vampire _and_ still have your mother in your life, I _will_ find it." he promised with a firm nod. "In the meantime, I suggest not worrying about it too much, not until you know exactly what it is that you want to do," he advised. "Keep thinking things over. Take your time to really consider what it is you want. When the time is right, you'll know what to do."

Danielle smiled gratefully, feeling inexplicably comforted by Carlisle's advise. "Thanks for talking with me about this, Carlisle. You've opened my eyes up to some things I hadn't thought about before. You've been a huge help."

"I'm happy to be of service," he said, inclining his head. "Anytime you or Jasper ever want to talk with me about this, know that I am happy to listen and more than willing to give my advice." Carlisle paused, then smiled. "I just have one more thing to say on the matter, and then I will stop picking your brain for today," he said.

"And what's that?" she asked.

"I just want to say that whatever you decide to do, Esme and I will support your decision," he told her seriously. "We are thrilled to have you in our family, Dani. Whether you stay a human or become a vampire, we will be equally as proud to call you our daughter."

Danielle smiled widely, feeling relieved to know that she had the support of Carlisle and Esme. "Thank you, Carlisle," she said.

"You're welcome," he said, inclining his head.

A brief silence passed between them, and as a thought came to Danielle's mind, she suddenly felt a swell of nervousness. There was something she had been wanting to talk to Carlisle about, though it was something she hadn't quite been sure how to approach. Now, sitting alone with Carlisle in his office and having all of these deep conversations, well…she couldn't think of a better time to bring it up. But she was a little worried – what if he said no? Or, worse, what if he thought she was stupid for even suggesting such an idea in the first place?

Danielle cleared her throat, then gave Carlisle a hesitant look. "Carlisle?" she asked quietly.

"Yes?"

Danielle fiddled with the hem of her shirt, her cheeks flushing a bit. "I, uh…I've been wanting to ask you something, too, only I wasn't sure how to do it."

Carlisle seemed a bit confused by her sudden shyness. "And what is that?" he prompted.

Danielle looked up at him. "It's no secret that things have been really crappy between me and my mom," she stated. Carlisle nodded. "Well, Alice keeps saying she's coming to the wedding, but I'm not so sure she really is. I'm kind of _afraid_ to get my hopes about it," she confessed. Danielle cleared her throat again. "Anyway," she continued, "if my mom doesn't come, I won't have anyone to walk me down the aisle. So I was thinking…maybe _you_ would do it?" she asked.

Carlisle looked surprised, but pleasantly so. "You are asking me to give you away at the wedding?"

Danielle nodded. "You're basically the closest thing to a father figure I've ever had, and you're _so_ important to Jasper. Actually, not just to Jasper," she corrected herself. "You're important to _me_ , too. You've been so good to me, not just since Phoenix, but ever since I first _met_ you." Danielle stopped to take a breath when she realized she was beginning to ramble. "Don't feel obligated to say yes. If it's too weird or if you're not up for it, I _totally_ get it. But I just…thought it wouldn't hurt to ask, you know?"

Carlisle smiled widely. "Dani, I would be absolutely _honored_ to walk you down the aisle when you marry my son," he said, which made her brighten instantly. "Of course, I _do_ hope your mother comes to the wedding, and I _do_ hope she is the one to give you away, simply because I know how important she is to you. But on the chance that Lynne does not come, I will happily give you away at the wedding."

"Really?" Danielle asked with a grin.

Carlisle nodded. "Really."

Danielle couldn't stop herself from getting out of the chair and throwing her arms around Carlisle to hug him. He chuckled at her enthusiasm, but returned the hug nonetheless, patting her back in a fatherly manner. "Thank you, Carlisle," she said, pulling back to beam at him. "Really. _Thank you."_

"You're welcome, Dani," he said with a nod. "And thank _you_ for considering me for such an important role."

They stood there smiling at each other for a moment, before Carlisle pushed off from the desk he had been leaning against.

"Now," he said to break the silence, his eyes turning pointedly down to her ankle. "I think we should get some ice on that ankle. How about we practice for the wedding and you allow me to escort you into the living room?" he said with a grin, offering her his arm again.

Danielle laughed and nodded, then linked her arm with his again and let him lead her out of his office.

* * *

Per Carlisle's orders, Danielle spent most of the morning resting on the couch with her ankle propped up, icing it every so often to keep the swelling to a minimum. Alice took advantage of the fact that she was confined to the sofa to grab her laptop and start scrolling through pictures of both bridesmaid's and wedding dresses with her. When Danielle voiced soms concerns about whether or not she would be able to find a dress so late in the game, Alice merely told her not worry and assured her that she would find the perfect dress. Because Alice seemed so confident that they _would_ find it, Danielle couldn't help but feel encouraged.

Around noon, she received a text from Bella asking if she wanted to hang out one-on-one. Danielle didn't have to think twice about it before eagerly replying that, yes, she would _love_ to hang out. As much as she adored the Cullen's, after spending nearly every waking moment with them for two weeks straight, the thought of getting out of the house and getting some one on one time with Bella sounded too good to pass up. Upon telling the Cullen's she was going out for a bit, however, Carlisle frowned and expressed some concerns about her still needing to rest her foot. Danielle insisted she would be fine and that her ankle was feeling better, but Carlisle didn't want to take any chances. In the end, they reached a compromise – Danielle would take crutches with her so that she wouldn't overwork her ankle, and she promised him that she would take it easy at Bella's house.

Finally, with Carlisle's blessing, a promise to Esme that she would be back in time for dinner, and a new handy, dandy pair or crutches to walk on, she was soon in Jasper's car and heading toward Bella's house.

Since Charlie was at work, she decided to park in the driveway. When she climbed out of Jasper's car, her eyes immediately turned to her mother's house across the street, a heavy feeling entering at her stomach as she stared at the quiet house.

Her mother wasn't home, but Danielle hadn't expected she would be. It was the first time she had been anywhere near her home since she had left with Jasper two weeks previous, and as she remembered what had happened the last time she had been there, her heart twisted painfully. She hated how horribly that day had gone, and she hated how horrible everything had been between her and her mother since. They had never fought so badly before, not even when she had just up and disappeared to Phoenix, and the memory of it made her feel sad and guilty all at the same time. They had both been so angry that day, had done and said things that they probably shouldn't have, and now the result of it was that they were practically living as if they were _strangers_ to one another. It was plain _awful_. It wasn't what Danielle wanted. She wanted her mother back, she wanted that _friendship_ back.

The sound of a door opening made Danielle glance toward Bella's front door. Bella must have heard her pulling into the driveway and had come outside to greet her. Danielle tried to push away the emotions that had just consumed her and plastered on a smile as she turned to face her friend.

"Does Jasper know you're taking his car for joyrides?" she asked with a small, joking smirk.

Danielle laughed as she began to make her way up to Bella's front door, the crutches _clip-clop-clip_ 'ing against the pavement the whole way. "We're practically married at this point anyway, so what's his is mine, right?" she asked. "As long as I don't wreck it, we're fine."

Bella frowned with concern as Danielle carefully hobbled up the porch steps to the front door. "What's up with the crutches?" she asked, moving forward to place a steadying hand on Danielle's shoulder.

Danielle sighed. "Carlisle's orders," she said. "I may or may not have kicked Alice in my sleep last night."

Bella lifted a brow at that. "Well, that sounds like a story I need to hear," she said, before pushing the door open for her. "Come on in. I've got snacks and everything."

Danielle nodded and moved to follow Bella inside, but not without shooting one last look at her house first.

Once they were inside, Danielle took a seat on the couch and, just as she had promised Carlisle she would do, she propped her foot up on some pillows to keep it elevated. Bella rummaged around in the kitchen for a few minutes, then returned with a bag of chips, a couple of sodas, and a big bowl of popcorn. She set it all on the table in front of the couch, then plopped down next to Danielle and gave her an expectant look.

"Alright, spill," she prompted, eager to hear what had happened.

Danielle launched into the details of what had happened the night before, from her nightmare about James and Victoria, to her apparent attack on Alice when she had attempted to wake her up, to her effectively freaking the _hell_ out of the Cullen's with her nightmare. She concluded the tale by telling Bella how Alice stayed with her to comfort her until she had finally fallen asleep, and how Carlisle had insisted on checking her ankle once she had woken up.

"It's nothing major," she said, eyeing her walking boot with a sigh. "It's just a little swollen. Carlisle thinks it's better to be safe than sorry, though."

"Probably for the best. You _do_ have an aisle to walk down next month," Bella agreed. She frowned then, looking concerned. "I thought you said you weren't having nightmares anymore?"

Danielle shrugged. "I said it had been a while, not that they had stopped _completely_ ," she corrected. "I think it's just because Jasper wasn't with me. He calms me down whenever I start to have nightmares, which makes them go away pretty quick. He wasn't there last night, though, so…" She trailed off and shrugged again.

Bella sighed and gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry it happened again," she said. "I know how much the nightmares suck."

Bella _did_ know how much they sucked, because _she_ had suffered some nightmares of her own in the months since Phoenix. "Have you had any recently?" Danielle asked curiously.

Bella shook her head. "No, thank goodness."

"That's good," Danielle said with an encouraging nod. "Hopefully it'll stay that way."

"Hopefully," Bella agreed. "I hope _you_ don't have them anymore, either," she added. "If you do, though, you know you can always call me. If there's anyone who understands what you're going through, it's me. I'm happy to listen."

Danielle smiled and reached over to squeeze Bella's hand. They had been close since they had met, but their friendship had changed after their shared experience with James. She felt closer to Bella than ever, and for as much as Jasper helped to keep her sane, Bella helped her just as much. It was an enormous relief to know she had someone so close to her who understood exactly what she was going through, and she knew she could always talk to Bella about absolutely anything.

"Thanks, Bells," she said, referring to her friend by her _least_ favorite nickname, which was due mostly to the fact that she was constantly called that by Mike Newton, her long time admirer.

Bella scoffed at the name and rolled her eyes a bit. "Gross. You _know_ I hate that nickname."

"I think it's cute," Danielle said with a smirk.

"I think it's _stupid_ ," Bella countered.

"Only because Mike says it all the time. If it was _Edward_ who gave you the nickname, you'd probably feel a lot different about it," Danielle pointed out.

Bella thought about it for a second, then shook her head. "Nope, I'd still hate it."

They both laughed at that, grinning at each other in amusement. When they sobered up, Danielle squeezed her hand again. "But seriously though," she said, getting back to the original conversation. "Thank you for being there for me. You've been a great friend."

Bella smiled and squeezed her hand in return. "Right back at you, Dani," she said with a nod.

They allowed themselves one more sappy moment of smiling at each other, before they released their hands and started reaching for the snacks. While Bella popped open a soda and dug into the popcorn, Danielle reached for the chips and started happily chowing down.

"So," Bella said to change the subject, "how's life at the Cullen's?"

Danielle nodded. "Pretty good," she said. "I _love_ getting to be with Jasper so much, and the rest of the family has been really accepting of me. They've really made me feel like I'm part of the family."

"Even Rosalie?" Bella asked with a quirked brow.

Danielle pulled a face and shrugged a shoulder. "She's been… _alright_. There haven't been any slumber parties or girl's nights or anything, but she hasn't been outright _awful_ to me, either. She just kinda…keeps her distance."

"Guess it could be worse then, huh?" Bella asked with a mouth full of popcorn.

Danielle nodded. " _Definitely_ could be worse. But hey, I figure that as long as she isn't giving me death glares or trying to like, booby-trap mine and Jasper's room or anything, then it's all good."

Bella smiled and took a sip of her soda. "What about Alice?" she asked next. "Has she been yapping your ear off about the wedding nonstop?"

Danielle laughed and rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Dude, you have _no_ idea," she said, which made Bella laugh. "I'm not gonna complain too much because she's basically done all the work and she's made everything come together really fast. But _good_ _lord_. That vampire is _intense_ when it comes to planning a big event."

"You're surprised?" Bella asked with a snort. "Did you _not_ see how manic she got when she was planning the graduation party?"

Danielle _had_ seen how manic Alice had gotten, but even that wasn't anywhere _close_ to the way Alice was with the wedding. "She's even worse when it comes to wedding planning," Danielle said. "Which while we're on the topic of the wedding, I hope you don't have anything planned for Wednesday," she added. "Alice wants to take us to Port Angeles to go dress shopping."

Bella immediately pulled a face and groaned. "I'm not gonna have to try on eighty five dresses, am I?" she asked, sounding like she was dreading the trip already.

Danielle shook her head. "Nah. I'll make sure Alice keeps it to a respectable thirty," she said, winking jokingly.

"Funny," Bella retorted deadpanned.

Danielle laughed, then reached for her own soda to pop it open. "Cheer up, buttercup. It won't be that bad," she said with a nod. "It'll be good practice for when you and Ed decide to get hitched. Because trustme, when _that_ time comes, Alice will have a freaking _field_ _day_ picking out a wedding dress for you."

Bella went wide eyed at those words. "Who said anything about me and Edward getting married?" she asked, her voice suddenly full of nervousness.

Danielle rolled her eyes. "Come on, Bella. Who do you think you're talking to here?" she asked with a knowing look.

Bella flushed and turned her eyes downward, suddenly very interested in a wayward string hanging from the blanket they were sitting on. "We're not talking about anything like that," she said. "I mean, we know we want to be _together_. But we haven't talked _marriage_ ," she added with a shrug.

"You've _never_ talked about it?" Danielle asked with surprise. Bella shook her head. "Not even _once_?" she asked, this time with incredulity. Again, Bella shook her head. "Huh," Danielle grunted out thoughtfully.

"Why is that so surprising?" Bella asked. "We haven't been together that long, and I've still got a year of high school. Technically _Edward_ does, too," she added.

"I dunno. I guess I figured since you guys have been talking about him turning you that you would've started talking _marriage_ , too," Danielle said with a shrug.

Bella pulled a face. "I wouldn't say we're really talking about me _turning_ , either," she said with a distinctly sour note.

Danielle lifted her brows. "Edward still isn't convinced you turning is a good idea?" she asked knowingly.

Bella shook her head. "He's being really stubborn about it. Anytime I bring it up, he just reminds me how difficult that life can be and insists I'd be missing out on way too much." Bella sighed heavily. "It's starting to get a little annoying, to be honest. I mean, it's _my_ decision, right? Why can't he just accept that's what I want?"

"I think he has good intentions...though maybe he's not necessarily going about it the best way," she added quickly when she saw the look Bella shot at her.

Bella sighed. "I guess," she agreed half-heartedly. "It just frustrating, you know? It's so different with you and Jasper. He's actually _open_ to the idea and talks it out with you," she said, sounding a little envious. "I just wish Edward was like that."

"As open to the idea as Jasper is, he still has a few reservations of his own," Danielle pointed out in the hope that it would make Bella feel better. "Besides, just because Edward isn't open to the idea _now_ , that doesn't mean he won't be _later_. Give him some time. Maybe he just needs to warm up to the idea."

"Maybe," Bella agreed. She seemed deep in thought for a moment, before she turned a curious look on Danielle. "While we're on the topic…have you decided if _you_ want to turn or not?"

Danielle immediately thought back to her conversation with Carlisle, and how much more she had to think about now after everything he had told her. Before that conversation, she had still very much been on the fence. _Now_ , however, she was seeing things a little differently, and she was feeling, for the first time, like she might be getting close to a definite answer. She wasn't ready to tell Bella which answer she was leaning toward, though – Jasper deserved to hear it before anyone else.

"Not yet…but I think I'm getting close," she answered with a nod.

Bella nodded slowly. She seemed like she wanted to press for more information, but she also seemed to sense that Danielle didn't want to go into detail. In the end, Bella just let the subject drop.

"How's Charlie?" Danielle asked to change the subject after a momentary lull in conversation.

"He's fine," Bella said with a nod. "Busy at the station, as usual, but he's good."

Danielle nodded. "Does he still hate Edward?"

Bella huffed. "Does a bear crap in the woods?" she countered sarcastically, which translated to a firm and resounding _yes_.

Danielle smirked in amusement. Charlie had been holding a _serious_ grudge against Edward ever since Phoenix. He had decided to put all the blame Edward for what had happened to Bella and Danielle and seemed to have made it his mission to make sure Edward knew exactly how much he disliked and distrusted him. It didn't appear that was going to change anytime soon, either.

"Well, let's hope he gets over it at some point. Something tells me Edward is going to be around for a _while_ , and if Charlie keeps on hating him, that will make for some _very_ awkward family holidays."

"I wouldn't bank on Charlie getting over _anything_ anytime soon," Bella said with a sigh. "Edward hasn't told me what he's heard in my dad's mind, but I know it's nothing _good._ Judging by the way Charlie glares at him every time they're around each other, though, I'm _pretty_ sure he's trying to figure out how to murder him and get away with it."

Danielle snorted into her soda. "You really think so?"

Bella glanced pointedly at the kitchen. "You didn't notice the shotgun?" she asked dryly.

Danielle glanced toward the kitchen, where she did indeed see a shotgun sitting propped perhaps a bit _too_ casually against the wall. She smothered her laughter with a hand over her mouth, her eyes turning back to Bella. Her friend looked anything _but_ amused.

"Well, I guess it's good to know Charlie is willing to _kill_ for you?" Danielle asked with a shrug, trying to find the silver lining in his behavior.

Bella rolled her eyes. "More like it's a good thing Edward isn't _human_ ," she corrected.

Danielle nodded in agreement. "Very true."

She reached over to snag some popcorn from Bella, who held out the bowl to her. After shoveling some popcorn into her mouth and washing it down with soda, she found herself looking quickly to the front window when she thought she heard a car outside, thinking for one split second that it might be her mother returning home. It was way too early in the day for Lynne to be coming home from work, though – she usually didn't leave work until six-thirty or seven.

Danielle looked back to Bella, who was watching her with a knowing look. Since it was obvious that Bella knew she was thinking about her mother, she decided she might as well ask about Lynne.

"Have you…seen my mom?" Danielle asked cautiously.

Bella nodded. "A bunch of times," she confirmed. "We have dinner with her a lot."

Danielle nodded. "How is she?"

Bella seemed to take a moment to consider how best to answer. "The truth? She's…not great," Bella said with a cringe. "She just seems really sad. And really lonely." Danielle nodded slowly, unable to say anything in response as a lump suddenly formed in her throat. "She asks me about you all the time. She asks how you are and how things are going with the wedding planning," Bella continued in a gentle tone. "I can tell she really misses you."

Danielle couldn't help but feel a surge of hope. "Really?"

Bella nodded. "Really."

She supposed it was a _good_ thing that Lynne was asking about her, _and_ that she was asking about the wedding. It meant that her mother still cared, and it meant that at least, on _some_ level, she was interested in her and Jasper's wedding. But there was a part of Danielle that couldn't help feeling a little hurt over the fact that Lynne had been asking _Bella_ for updates on her life rather than just squashing down her pride and coming straight to _Danielle_. Then again, could she really be angry at her for that? It wasn't as though _she_ had been trying to make contact with _Lynne,_ and she certainly hadn't done anything to make Lynne feel like she could reach out. It didn't really matter which way she looked at it from this point – they were both letting their stubbornness get the better of them, and if one of them didn't cave soon, she was worried it might cause irreparable damage.

And then, just like that, something in her shifted. Danielle was just _over it._ Why had they let things get to this point? Why, when they were both obviously miserable, were they not taking the steps to make things better? This drama between her and her mother had gone on for long enough. She _wanted_ her mother back in her life, and since it was clear that Lynne wasn't going to give in, then it was time for Danielle to step up and take charge. She had promised Jasper she would reach out to her mother soon, and it was time to see that promise through. She couldn't continue to wallow in guilt and depression. It was time to make things right. She at least had to _try._

"Dani?" Bella asked to catch her attention. "What're you thinking?"

Danielle looked over at Bella, let loose a long sigh, then nodded resolutely. "I'm thinking it's time to talk to my mother."

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed it!**


	23. Chapter Twenty-two

**Thank you, as always, for all your kindness and support! I know I'm awful about responding to reviews, but know that I'm grateful for all your wonderful feedback and appreciate y'all taking the time to read this story! You're all awesome!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I own nothing related to the Twilight franchise, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Three_

"Dude. Seriously. You've _got_ to stop freaking panicking," Tom said over the phone. "You're just going to talk to your mom. It's not like you're off to meet the Pope or something."

Danielle sighed heavily as she paced the length of Jasper's bedroom, her eyes turned to the ceiling. It was the next day, and she had been spending the better part of an hour trying to psyche herself up and get herself into the right mind frame to go and face her mother. She had hoped talking to Tom would help ease her anxiety, but so far it wasn't working. Even after spending the majority of the previous afternoon practicing what she would say with Bella, and even after spending all night thinking about how best to approach Lynne, she was _still_ nervous as all hell.

"This is serious, Tom," Danielle reminded him. "My mom and I haven't talked to each other in over _two weeks._ What if she's still mad at me? What if she turns me away? What if she _hates me_?"

Tom exhaled loudly. "Do you hear how ridiculous you sound right now?" he asked incredulously. "Your mom _doesn't_ hate you. That's not even a possibility, Dani."

"But – " she started to argue back.

"No but's," Tom interrupted. "I have _literally_ heard her say, on no less than five hundred and sixty-eight occasions, that you are _the most_ important thing in the world to her. Your mom _loves_ you. So stop being a drama queen, suck it up, and _go talk to her_ ," he commanded.

Danielle huffed as she turned to walk back the other direction. "Geez. When did you get so _bossy?"_ she asked.

Tom snorted on his end of the line. "Probably been talking to your sister-in-law too much," he retorted.

Danielle had to crack a grin at that. Alice _had_ been talking to Tom _quite_ a bit. Seeing as Tom was her very closest friend, Danielle had decided to throw tradition to the wind and had appointed him as her Man of Honor, which meant Alice had been calling him frequently to discuss his suit, the duties he had to fulfill as the Man of Honor, and to just generally talk his ear off about the wedding. Tom, being pretty easy going by nature, didn't seem to mind her pestering, and the two actually seemed like they got along pretty well. There had been more than one time where Danielle had caught them talking about non-wedding related things whilst on the phone, and though she had questioned the two parties about it, they had both insisted it was nothing but friendly conversation.

"Don't even act like talking to Alice is some kinda chore or something," Danielle shot back. "You _so_ have a crush on her."

"No, I don't," Tom denied at once.

"Yes, you do."

" _No_ , I don't!" Tom persisted.

" _Yes_ , you do! Times infinity!" she added for good measure.

Tom went quiet for a second, and she could practically picture him rolling his eyes. "What are you, _twelve_?" he said with sarcasm. "Look," he continued firmly, "Alice is cool, okay? But I barely know her. And she lives in _Washington_. As of right now we're just friends, and that's perfectly fine. So just…don't make it weird, okay?"

Danielle could tell that her teasing was genuinely starting to bother him, so she decided it was time to drop her act. "Don't worry, I won't. I just love both of you and want you both to be happy. I still think you'd be _great_ together, but if you want me to drop it, then I will."

Tom sighed with relief. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Danielle said with a smile. She turned to pace back the other way, her eyes trained on the trees swaying with the wind outside the window. "You've got your flight booked, right?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Yup. I get in Monday before the wedding, then leave Sunday afternoon while you guys are off on your honeymoon," he confirmed.

Danielle grinned widely. "Pickles, you have _no idea_ how excited I am to see your handsome face," she said, practically bouncing on her heels with excitement already.

"Dani-lani-ding-dong, I am _beyond_ excited!" Tom said back without hesitation. "I _still_ can't believe you're getting married next month."

"Honestly? Me neither," Danielle admitted. "It's all happened so fast. It feels kinda surreal."

"I bet," Tom agreed. "I know I've already said it, but I'm gonna say it again. I'm really happy for you, Dani. I can tell you're really happy with Jasper and I'm just…really glad you guys found each other," he said sincerely.

Danielle felt a swell of emotion at his words. "Thanks, Tommy," she said, trying not to let him hear just how much his sweet words had affected her.

"You're welcome," he said. "Now don't think I don't know what you're doing by talking my ear off. You're trying to stall before going to see Momma Clark," he pointed out matter-of-factly.

Danielle cringed. Was there _nothing_ she could get past Tom? "Caught me," she admitted guiltily.

"Course I did. What do you think I am, some kinda amateur? I know you better than you know yourself," he stated proudly, and she couldn't argue with him on that because he was probably right, just as he always was. "It'll be fine, Dani. Just go over there and talk to her. You can do it, I _know_ you can."

Danielle sucked in a deep breath, then nodded. "Okay."

"Atta girl," Tom said encouragingly. "Call me after and tell me what happens."

"I will," she promised.

"Good luck, and I'll talk to you soon."

"Thanks, Tom. Bye."

Danielle ended the call and clicked the flip phone shut. She sighed to herself and looked to the window, allowing herself a moment to collect her thoughts and mentally prepare herself for what was about to take place. Finally, with Tom's encouraging words circulating through her mind, she went to the desk to grab her mother's wedding invitation before heading downstairs.

It was strangely quiet in the house, and though it had already been rather on the quiet side ever since Jasper, Emmett, and Edward had gone on their hunt, it was _weirdly_ so today. Danielle paused at the bottom of the stairs to glance around, listening out for any sounds of movement in the house and wondering just where everyone was. Carlisle, she knew, was at work, but where were Alice, Esme, and Rosalie?

"Hello?" she called out. "Anybody home?"

When there was no response, she shrugged her shoulders and decided they must have gone out while she had been on the phone with Tom. With that thought in mind, Danielle headed into the kitchen and went to the drawer to the left of the oven, where they kept a notepad and a pen. She began to scribble out a note saying that she was going into town to talk to her mother, just in case the Cullen's returned and she was still gone. Just as she finished, however, a voice caught her by surprise.

"Going somewhere?"

Danielle jumped about a mile into the air, her surprised eyes swinging toward the entrance to the kitchen. Rosalie stood there with her arms crossed over her chest, staring unblinking back at her. "Er, yeah," she answered, setting down the pen she had been writing with. "I'm going to talk to my mom. I was leaving a note. I didn't think anyone was home," she felt the need to add, gesturing to the notepad.

Rosalie glanced at the notepad, then back at her. "Esme and Alice are out shopping, but I'll let them know where you went when they come back," she said.

Danielle nodded. "Okay. Thanks," she added.

Rosalie just nodded once in return.

They stood there in awkward silence for a few moments, before Danielle finally couldn't take it any longer. She stepped away from the countertop and moved to leave the kitchen, smiling awkwardly at Rosalie as she went past. Her purse and the keys to Jasper's car were on a table near the stairs that went down to the bottom floor – she stopped there to grab both items, shoving the wedding invitation into the purse, before sliding the purse over her shoulder.

"I'll be back in a bit," she said, fiddling with Jasper's keys as she glanced at Rosalie.

"Alright," Rosalie said.

Danielle started to make her way downstairs after that, but stopped only a few steps down when Rosalie spoke again. "Danielle?" the vampire called out.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking back at her.

Rosalie took a few steps closer. "I heard what you and Carlisle were talking about yesterday," she said bluntly. "About you possibly becoming one of us." Rosalie paused, then lifted her chin a little higher. "I just wanted to say that…I don't think you should do it," she stated firmly.

Danielle blinked at her in surprise and went back up to the top step. "What?" she asked unsurely.

Rosalie shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest. "Being like this…it's not as _glamorous_ as you and Bella might think it is," she said. "This is _not_ the sort of life I would have chosen for myself. I will never grow old. I will never experience the normal things that humans do in their lifetimes. I will never have _children_." Danielle did not miss the way Rosalie's voice broke a little on that last word. The vampire quickly pushed away whatever emotion had just swarmed her, though, and gave Danielle a firm look. "If I could choose between being like _this_ or being like _you_ , I would go with option number two," she told her with a nod.

Danielle was stunned by the admission, partly because it was completely unexpected, partly because it was possibly the most that Rosalie had ever said to her in one sitting, and partly because what she had said was so _personal._ "Wow," Danielle said dumbly, too stunned to think of anything else to say.

Rosalie sighed, her eyes turning away momentarily before meeting Danielle's again. "I know we aren't friends. And I know I haven't been the _kindest_ to you, so maybe my opinion doesn't mean anything. But I just…felt like I needed to say something."

Danielle shook off her shock to frown at those words. "Your opinion _does_ matter, Rosalie," she said with a nod, which seemed to surprise the vampire a little. "We're about to be _family_. It's time we started figuring out how to communicate with one another, don't you think?" she asked.

Rosalie thought about it, then nodded. "Yes, I suppose we should." She paused, then titled her head. "Do you _really_ want to be one of us?" she asked, her tone betraying how baffled she was by the thought.

Danielle shrugged. "To an extent, yes," she admitted. "Not because I think it's _glamorous_ , or any stupid, vain reason like that. I would want to be a vampire purely because of what it would mean for me and Jasper," she said honestly.

"Jasper loves you, and he will _continue_ to love you regardless if you are a human or not," Rosalie countered.

"I know," Danielle said. "But I think we _all_ know that everything would be a _lot_ less complicated if Jasper and I were the same."

Rosalie looked like she didn't want to agree with that statement. She stared at Danielle for a few long moments, then sighed heavily. "Look, in the end, it's not my decision to make," she said. "But I _will_ say this – being a Cullen _doesn't_ mean you have to be a vampire. Unlike us, you have a choice in the matter. So just make sure you _really_ think about this. Because once it's done, that's it. There's no taking it back."

Danielle nodded firmly. "I am. And I will."

Rosalie nodded, then turned on her heel to leave, signaling that their conversation had come to an end. Danielle watched as the gorgeous vampire headed upstairs without a backward look. "Good luck with your mother," Rosalie said over her shoulder, before disappearing from view.

Danielle raised her brows. Rosalie wishing her luck was probably about the nicest thing she'd ever said to her. "Thanks," she called back.

There was no reply, only the sound of a door being shut.

* * *

It was hard to decide if her conversation with Rosalie had been a good thing or a bad thing, so, in the end, Danielle decided it was best to just push it out of her mind for the time being. Considering she was about be facing her mother and could potentially be in for another horrid fight, Rosalie's opinion on her possibly becoming a vampire was the _least_ of her concerns.

Danielle pulled into a parking space outside of her mother's bookshop, then turned off the engine. She had chosen to speak to her mother at the bookshop in the hope that being in such a public setting might reduce the chance of getting shouted at. For a few moments, Danielle sat there in the car, watching through the window as her mother helped a customer in the romance novel section, her heart pounding in her chest. It was the first time she and seen in her mother with her own two eyes in over two weeks, and quite frankly, she did _not_ like what she was seeing.

Danielle had always thought that Lynne was a beautiful woman. She was in good shape, she had a pretty face, and she always dressed well. But her real beauty came from how happy and cheerful she always seemed to be – she was the type of person that almost always had a smile on her face…unless, of course, you did something to make her mad, in which case she was downright _scary_. Thankfully, her bouts of flying off the handle were usually few and far between, which meant that, more often than not, she was just her kind-hearted, chipper self.

Right now, though, Lynne was very obviously _not_ her usual self. Even from where Danielle sat, she could see that Lynne looked tired and haggard, completely worn down. Her hair wasn't done, she barely had any makeup up on, and she had traded in her colorful clothes for dark, old clothes that Danielle didn't even remember her _owning_ because it had been so long since she'd worn them. Lynne just looked downright _depressed,_ and to see her like that immediately sent an ache through Danielle's heart, because she knew that _she_ was the primary cause for it.

Sucking in a deep breath, Danielle finally got out of Jasper's car and headed for the entrance to the bookshop. She pushed the door open with shaky hands, making the bell above the door jingle as it signaled her arrival. Her mother couldn't see her from where she was standing because there were bookshelves between them, so it was Patricia, the lady who worked for her mother, who greeted her. Currently, the woman was behind the checkout counter, her eyes trained on a receipt she was looking over.

"Hi, welcome to _Much Ado About_ – oh." Patricia had finally looked up and realized she was there. Patricia looked nervous in an instant, her eyes darting to where Lynne was. "H-hey, Dani."

Danielle gave her a small smile. "Hey, Patricia. I'm, uh…here to talk to my mom," she said, pointing in Lynne's direction.

"Yeah, of course," Patricia said with a nod. "Lynne?" she called out tentatively. "Could you come here for a moment?"

Danielle heard Lynne excuse herself from the conversation she'd been having with the customer. She stood straighter, bracing herself for whatever was about to come. The moment of truth was upon her – would Lynne want to talk, or would she throw her out?

Lynne stepped around a bookshelf and came into view. Almost immediately, her gaze landed on Danielle, and when she saw her standing there, Lynne froze. For a few moments, neither of them did anything. They simply stood there staring at one another, Danielle with a guarded expression, Lynne with one of surprise. Eventually, though, Danielle offered a tentative smile.

"Hi, mom," she said quietly.

Lynne blinked. "Danielle," she said slowly. "What are you doing here?"

Danielle shrugged. "I was…hoping we could talk?" she asked hopefully. "If you're not too busy, anyway," she added quickly.

Lynne didn't answer at first. She stared back at Danielle, her brows furrowed together, then glanced at Patricia. Patricia was glancing back and forth between the two of them as if watching a tennis match, her expression both wary and one of interest – even the customer Lynne had been helping had come to see what was going on, the woman clutching a book tightly to her chest as she eyed the two of them.

"Patricia, can you take over for a minute while I talk to Danielle?" Lynne finally asked, looking to her employee with raised brows.

"Of course," Patricia readily agreed.

Lynne nodded, then looked back to Danielle and motioned for her to come with her to the back room. As relieved as she was that her mother was at least willing to talk to her, that did nothing to quell the nervousness still running rampant through her veins. Danielle shoved her hands into her pockets as she followed her mother through the store, her mind racing as she tried to remember everything she had wanted to say, but her mind was drawing a blank. She was suddenly terrified that she would do or say something wrong, that she would make things even worse than they already were.

She couldn't stop herself from fidgeting anxiously as they reached the back room, Lynne quietly shutting the door so that they had some privacy. Lynne turned to her, then motioned toward the little table set up in the center of the room, where they ate their lunch when on break.

"Why don't we sit?" she suggested.

Danielle nodded and went to sit down, setting her purse on the table and easing into one of the chairs. Lynne sat across from her, her hands clasped together on top of the table and her back ramrod straight. Danielle did not miss the way her mother's eyes darted down to her engagement ring, as if checking to see if it was still there or not. It was hard to determine what the look in her eyes meant when she saw it still resting on her finger in all its sparkling glory.

They sat in silence at first, partly because neither seemed to know what to say, but also because neither seemed to want to be the one to speak first. Finally, Danielle cleared her throat and gave her mother a questioning look.

"How…how have you been?" she asked to try to get the conversation going. It seems like a safe question to start on.

Lynne shrugged a shoulder. "I've been better," she answered honestly. "You?"

Danielle mimicked her shrug. "I have good days and bad days," she said.

Lynne nodded slowly in response to that. "How is your ankle?" she asked next.

"Getting better," Danielle answered. "Carlisle and I have been doing physical therapy as often as my ankle can tolerate it. With any luck, I'll be able to ditch this clunky thing by next month," she said, motioning to her walking boot.

"That's good news," Lynne said, a ghost of a smile finally making an appearance at the corner of her mouth. It was gone just as quickly, though, leaving Danielle to wonder if it had really been there to begin with.

"Yeah, it is," Danielle agreed with a nod.

There was another brief lull in conversation, until Lynne cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. "I hear the wedding is still on, then," she commented, her neutral tone and expression making it nearly impossible to guess what she might be thinking or feeling. "It's been the talk of the town for two weeks straight."

Danielle couldn't contain the sour expression that overtook her face. "Yeah, it's been the talk of the town alright," she said with a note of bitterness. "Not _good_ talk, either."

Lynne frowned at those words. "Yeah, I've heard what people have been saying," she admitted. "Between your engagement and our recent… _troubles_...a lot of people seem to be jumping to the wrong conclusions. I guess that's the trouble with small towns," she said with a wry smile. "Gossip travels fast."

"That it does," Danielle agreed, nodding slowly. "We're doing our best to ignore it. I can let things roll of my shoulders pretty easy, but…Jasper's struggling with it. He's about had it with the crap people are saying," she said, thinking back to how angry those gossipy kids had made him a few days ago. "It's really starting to upset him."

"Can't say I blame him. I've about had my fill of it myself," Lynne replied, sounding just as displeased. "I try to squash the rumors as best as I can, but it doesn't always work. In fact, sometimes I think it just _adds_ fuel to the fire," she said with a frown of consternation.

Danielle couldn't help but blink in surprise. With how badly Lynne had reacted to the news of their engagement, Danielle would not have thought she would be doing anything to show any kind of support for them. To hear she had been trying to dispel the annoying rumors surrounding their upcoming marriage was a _huge_ shock.

"You've been _defending_ us?" she asked, unable to keep the surprise out of her tone.

Lynne huffed, her expression offended. "I _am_ your mother still, Danielle," she reminded her sharply. "Just because I don't approve of you getting married, that doesn't mean I'm just gonna stand by and let some idiot run my daughter's name through the mud."

Danielle frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. Part of her was happy to know that her mother was, to some extent, still on her side. But a much _bigger_ part of her was troubled to hear that Lynne _still_ did not approve of her and Jasper getting married. It shouldn't have come as a surprise – if her mother had magically decided she _did_ approve, they likely wouldn't have been avoiding each other for so long. But still…it was disappointing to hear her say it aloud.

"You still don't want us to get married then?" she asked, trying hard to keep the edge out of her tone.

Lynne scoffed incredulously. "We've already been through this, Danielle," she said, her tone verging on impatience. "It's not that I don't want you two to get married. It's that I don't want you to get married _now_."

"And I still don't see what difference it makes," Danielle countered. "Whether we get married _now_ or five _years_ from now, the result is the same either way. We still end up _married._ "

"It makes _all_ the difference," Lynne rebutted swiftly, her voice raising slightly. Lynne stopped for a moment to pinch the bridge of her nose and take a calming breath, before dropping her hand from her face and pinning Danielle with a determined stare. "You're still _so young_ , Danielle," she said, her tone more controlled now. "You may _think_ you're an adult, but you're _not_. Getting married will complicate everything, it will tie you down with responsibilities you aren't ready for yet. You need to finish growing up first. You need to go to college. You need to work. You need to enjoy just being young and living life to its fullest!"

Danielle leaned forward to brace her elbows on the table, her eyes filled with just as much determination as her mother's. "And who says I can't do all of that _and_ be married to Jasper at the same time?" she demanded. "We _are_ gonna go to college. Together. We _are_ gonna travel and have fun and grow up. _Together._ Being married won't change _any_ of that. In fact, I think it'll just make everything even _better_."

"And what happens when you get pregnant and can't finish college?" Lynne countered. "What happens when you grow up and realize you've turned into two _very_ different people? What if those different people don't even know or love each other anymore? You'll end up divorced before you're even _thirty_ , and then you'll look back on this and wish you had done _everything_ differently," she said with a nod. "Trust me on this. I'm speaking from experience," she added vehemently.

It was in that moment that everything clicked into place. Everything that her mother had just said, everything that she was afraid Danielle would go through…it was exactly what _Lynne_ had gone through with Danielle's father. They had married young, had had _her_ young, and though they had been very much in love at the time, it hadn't lasted. The responsibilities of having a child so young had proven too much for her father to handle, which had driven them apart and resulted in them going their separate ways. They had not seen one another again, and Lynne had spent all of the years since as a single mother, which had not always been easy for her. Danielle now knew exactly what Lynne was afraid of – she was afraid that she would end up like _her._

Danielle sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Mom…" She dropped her hand from her face to give her a look. "I get why you're worried. I really do. But Jasper and I are _not_ you and my father," she said. "If you're afraid I'm going down the same path you went down, then you don't need to be. Because I'm _not_."

Lynne shook her head. "You can't _possibly_ know that."

"But I do," Danielle insisted. "What Jasper and I have? It's for _life_."

Lynne scoffed. "That's easy to say when you're still in the honeymoon stage," she said. "I thought the same thing, you know. When I married your father, I thought we were in it for the long haul, too. Look how that turned out in the end."

"No offence, mom, but you made a bad choice," Danielle said, her patience slipping a little. "I've heard you say a _thousand_ times how immature and worthless my father was. How he never took care of you, how _toxic_ he was. How the only _good_ thing he ever did for you was give you _me."_ Danielle shook her head. "Jasper is _nothing_ like him. He's _good_. He's sweet and kind and he's never done _anything_ to hurt me. He takes _care_ of me. He's the exact sort of person you've always said you wanted me to end up with. So why can't you just be _happy_ for me?" she demanded.

Lynne laughed humorlessly. "How can I be happy when you're _this close_ to making the same mistake that I did?" she asked, her tone full of frustration now. "How can I be happy when I'm going to spend every day from here on out fearing that you're going to end up alone and broken hearted because you jumped into things _way_ too fast?"

Danielle shook her head in disbelief. "Your lack of faith is just _astonishing_ ," she said sarcastically.

"Don't get sarcastic with me," Lynne retorted.

"Then stop shitting all over our relationship!" Danielle argued back.

"Hey! Watch your language!" Lynne said with a stern point of her finger.

Danielle frowned and dropped her face into her hands. This was exactly what she had worried would happen – this conversation was going absolutely nowhere, because her mother was clearly determined not to accept or support her marriage to Jasper.

"This isn't how I wanted this to go," she muttered, more to herself than to her mother.

"What?" Lynne asked, evidently having not heard her.

Danielle lifted her head to give her mother a sharp look. "I said – _this isn't how I wanted this to go_ ," she repeated. "I came here to try to fix things. To try to talk to you like _normal_. But you're so determined to believe the worst that you can't find it in yourself to even _consider_ setting your pride to the side and just give things a _chance_."

Lynne bristled. "My pride? My _pride_?" she repeated. "This isn't about my _pride,_ Danielle. This is about me trying to knock some _sense_ back into your head!" Lynne pointed an index finger at her. "All I've ever wanted was for you to have a life that was _better_ than mine, and if you think I'm just gonna quietly stand by and let you jeopardize that, then you've lost your mind!"

Danielle surged to her feet, which seemed to catch Lynne by surprise. "What about what _I_ want, mom?" she asked loudly. "What _I_ want is for my mother to accept that I'm old enough to make my own decisions! What _I_ want is for my mother to actually _be_ _by my side_ as I plan to marry the _love_ of my _life._ What _I_ want is to have my mother in my _life_ again!"

Lynne slowly shook her head, the anger and frustration in her eyes melting into something quite different. "You're the one who left, remember?" she reminded, her tone betraying the hurt and the pain she felt.

Danielle felt a swell of guilt. She sighed and raked a hand through her hair, trying to find the right words to say. "I know," she said quietly. "Look, I said and did things that I shouldn't have, and I'm _sorry_ for that. I really am," Danielle continued with a nod. "It's been _killing_ me to not have you around. To not even _talk_ to you. Hasn't it been killing _you_ too?"

"Of _course_ it has," Lynne said without hesitation. "I didn't want _this,_ Danielle," she added, motioning between the two do them. "I _never_ wanted us to be like this."

"Neither did I. But what choice did you give me?" Danielle asked with a helpless shrug.

Lynne rubbed her face for a moment. "I wasn't trying to give you an _ultimatum_. I was just…trying to _protect you_. I was just trying to do what's _best_ for you."

Danielle nodded slowly. "Mom, you have _always_ done right by me. You took care of me. Provided for me. I've never wanted or needed for anything. Because of _you_ I've had a really happy life, and I will _always_ be grateful to you for that." Danielle paused and gave her mother an earnest look. "But you can't protect me from everything, mom," she continued. "Me marrying Jasper is _not_ a mistake…but even if it was, it's _my_ mistake to make. You say you want what's best for me, but the only person who can decided that is _me_. This is _my_ life, mom. Not yours. I'm not a _kid_ anymore. You have to let me live my life the way _I_ want, regardless if you agree with the choices I make or not."

Danielle stood straighter and gave her mother a firm look. "I'm _going_ to marry Jasper," she said with finality. "I love him. He loves me. We want to be married so we're _getting married_. Can you just…try to accept that and support us?" she asked, her tone one of pleading.

Lynne was quiet for a very long moment. She turned her gaze elsewhere, her brows furrowing together as she thought long and hard about what Danielle had said. Finally, she looked back to Danielle and sighed.

"I just…don't know if I can," she said with a shake of her head.

Disappointed rushed through her. Danielle nodded slowly, doing her best to ignore the sudden sting of incoming tears. Pressing her lips together tightly, she grabbed her purse and put it back on her shoulder. She was feeling a swell of emotions and couldn't decide if she wanted to cry from disappointment or shout at her mother for her stubbornness. Since neither option sounded particularly enjoyable, she decided it was time to go, before either of them had a chance to do or say anything to make things worse.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Danielle said as neutrally as she could. Reaching into her purse, she grabbed the invitation she had brought and leaned over to palce it on the table in front of Lynne. The woman did not move to pick it up. "Your wedding invitation, just in case you decide you want to come. It's next month," she said, which made Lynne's eyes widen. "Jasper and I both really hope that you come," Danielle concluded with a nod.

She turned to leave after that, swallowing thickly as she did her best to keep a reign on the emotions threatening to consume her. Danielle started to open the door, but paused before leaving. With her hand still on the door knob, she glanced back at Lynne, smiling sadly. "I love you, mom," she told her sincerely, which had Lynne pressing her lips together tightly. "I always have and I always will. No matter what."

Then she finally opened the door and left. As soon as she was out of the bookshop, the tears finally came. She cried all the way back to the Cullen house.

* * *

"It could've gone worse, right?" Alice asked later that night as she and Danielle hung out in Alice's room.

Danielle sighed, resting her chin on her knees as she sat on the floor in front of Alice's sofa. Alice was sitting cross-legged on said sofa directly behind Danielle, her nimble fingers expertly twisting Danielle's red curls around and pinning them into various places. Somehow – Danielle still wasn't sure how, exactly – Alice had convinced her to let her try out a few potential wedding hairstyles. She really wasn't in a great mood after that conversation with her mother and had planned to spend the evening shut away in Jasper's room, but Alice had refused to let her wallow by herself, so now here she was. In truth, she really didn't mind as much as she thought she might – Alice was good company, and having her hair played with was proving to be very relaxing.

"Yeah, but it certainly could've gone _better_ , too," Danielle said with a sigh, watching Alice through the mirror that the vampire had propped up in front of them. The vampires golden eyes were focused on the task at hand. "It's never been like this between us, Alice. We've fought before, but _never_ like this. I'm starting to really worry that we might not be able to fix this."

"You'll fix it," Alice said with confidence, her eyes finding Danielle's in the mirror. "I _know_ you will. I still see your mom coming to the wedding, which means _something_ will get better between now and then. Will the two of you be back to normal by then? Maybe you will, maybe you won't," she said with a shrug. "The important thing right now is that you _finally_ talked to each other, and that's the first step toward making amends," Alice concluded matter-of-factly.

Danielle pursed her lips doubtfully. "I hope you're right," she said, because while Alice seemed pretty confident, Danielle definitely was not.

"Of _course_ I'm right," Alice retorted smugly.

Danielle just smirked at her through the mirror.

Alice pushed one more pin into place, then sat back and held her hands out. "Voila!" she exclaimed. "What do you think?" she then asked eagerly.

Danielle turned her head to the left first, then to the right, eyeing her new hairdo in the mirror. Alice had pulled her shoulder length curls into a low style, so that her hair sat in intricate little designs at the base of her head. The front part of her hair had been parted on the side, and the side with more hair had been delicately braided to the right and then trailed back into the style in the back, so that most of the hair around her face was out of the way. She had left a few tendrils down for softness, though, which Danielle definitely liked. It was soft and pretty and not too overdone, which was exactly what she had had in mind whenever she contemplated how she wanted to wear her hair.

"I think this looks _great_ , Alice," Danielle said with an enthusiastic nod. "I think just add a little bit of hair bling on the side without the braid and we're good to go."

"I couldn't agree more," Alice said with a nod. "Between me, Rose, and Esme, we've got _tons_ of beautiful hair decorations for you to choose from. We have _definitely_ got you covered there."

"Perfect," Danielle said with a nod.

Alice started to take her hair back down, smiling to herself and humming a song that Danielle didn't recognize under her breath as she worked. Danielle watched her quietly, noting not for the first time just how beautiful Alice was. The vampire wasn't just _physically_ beautiful, however – she was just as beautiful and radiant on the _inside,_ too. Was she a little zaney from time to time? Sure. Did she get a little crazy when it came to planning? Absolutely. But she was also kind and caring and loyal, and probably one of the most selfless individuals Danielle had ever met. And as Danielle thought about how accepting and supportive she was, and how _hard_ she had been working on the wedding, she felt a sudden, and very strong, surge of affection for the Alice Cullen.

Danielle reached back to still Alice's hands, then turned around to give her a serious look. "Thank you, Alice," she said sincerely. "I can't possibly begin to explain how grateful I am for all that you've done. Not just for me and Jasper and the wedding, but for… _everything_. You're a great friend," she told her with a nod.

Alice smiled, looking slightly bashful for a moment. "You're welcome," she said. "And just so you know, you're a pretty great friend, too." Alice frowned. "No, not friend. You're a great _sister_ ," she corrected with a grin.

Danielle blushed, feeling a little bashful herself at the compliment. "Never had a sister before," she commented.

"Well, now you've got two," Alice said, referring to herself and to Rosalie. "Though I'm definitely the _cooler_ one."

Danielle laughed. "Can't argue with that one," she said.

Alice shrugged as she made Danielle turn forward again so she could resume taking the pins out of her hair. "Rose will come around," she said with a nod. "She just has to do it on her own time."

Danielle made a sound of understanding. "I think we actually might have made a _little_ progress today," she revealed, thinking back to the encounter with Rosalie earlier that day. "Before I left to talk to my mom, Rosalie and I spoke for a couple minutes. She told me she knew I was thinking about becoming a vampire and that she didn't think I should do it. We kinda…talked it out a little. Then she wished me luck with my mom," Danielle recounted. "Maybe not the _best_ conversation, but at least it was _civil_."

Alice sighed and shook her head. "She shouldn't have told you that," she said disapprovingly.

Danielle shrugged. "She's entitled to her own opinion," she said in Rosalie's defense. She then looked at Alice curiously. "Just out of curiosity, what do _you_ think about me turning?"

Alice smiled gently. "I'm completely for it, so long as it's what _you_ want."

Danielle smiled with relief, glad to know that she could now add Alice to her list of supporters. "Good to know," she said.

Alice smiled at her for a moment longer, then turned her attention back to Danielle's hair. When she had finished removing all of the pins, she clapped her hands and then patted Danielle on the shoulders. "Alright, sis," she said. "It's bed time for you. You have a dress appointment at ten a.m. sharp, which means that _you_ need to get to bed and get some beauty rest. I won't have you looking like a zombie while you're trying on dresses tomorrow."

Danielle smiled and mock saluted Alice. "Ma'am, yes, ma'am," she said.

Alice laughed, then got off the couch and extended a hand to Danielle to help her up from the floor. Once Danielle was standing, she wrapped Alice up in a hug. The vampire seemed a bit surprised at first, but then quickly hugged her back. "Thank you again," Danielle said as they parted.

Alice nodded. "You're welcome. Now go get sleep."

"Alright," Danielle said as she turned and headed for the door. "Night."

"Good night," Alice said back.

It took a long time fall asleep, but that wasn't much of a surprise considering the events of the day. Danielle tossed and turned until well past midnight, her mind racing a mile a minute as she thought about everything from her mother to the wedding to the things Rosalie had said to her. It wasn't until she snuggled up to Jasper's pillow, longingly breathing in the scent of pine that clung to the fabric and forcefully telling her mind to just _shut up_ , that she finally fell asleep.

Alice was even more energetic than usual at breakfast the next morning. The vampire had been looking forward to dress shopping with her since _before_ she and Jasper had even gotten engaged, so the fact that they were finally going was basically the equivalent of Christmas coming early for Alice. All while Danielle ate, and even when she got up to go to the sink and wash her dishes, Alice yapped ear off, talking so quickly and so enthusiastically that Danielle's mind only registered about every fifth word. Esme and Carlisle, who were hanging out in the kitchen with them, just laughed whenever Danielle looked at them for help.

"And if the place we're going to offers alterations, don't even bother," Alice said as Danielle finished with her dishes and dried her hands on a towel. "I'm an _excellent_ seamstress, and I'll be able to knock out any alterations you might need faster than any of those silly humans and their slow hands," she said. "No offense," she added with a smirk.

"None taken," Danielle said. "You seem pretty sure I'm gonna find a dress today," she added, taking the chance to finally get a word in now that Alice had stopped talking.

Alice rolled her eyes. "I'm not an _amateur_ , Dani. I've already _seen_ what dress you pick. Did you really think I wouldn't do my research and find out _exactly_ which store carries it?" she asked pointedly.

Danielle's brows raised. She couldn't help feeling impressed. "One of these days I'm gonna learn to stop underestimating you," she mused aloud.

"Please do," Alice said. "The sooner you realize I'm the Cullen who's _really_ running things around here, the better," she joked, sending a teasing wink at Carlisle and Esme.

The two vampires said nothing in response, merely rolled their eyes good-naturedly.

Alice suddenly cocked her head to the side, before she smiled and clapped excitedly. "Bella just got here," she said. "C'mon, ladies!" she said loudly, looking from Danielle to Esme. "Those wedding dresses aren't going to try on themselves! Let's go down and – oh," Alice suddenly said, her smile falling abruptly.

Danielle quirked a brow at Alice's shift in demeanor. She then glanced at Carlisle and Esme, who were both looking in the direction of the front door with unreadable expressions. Clearly something was wrong, which made her frown with concern. "What is it?" she asked them uncertainly. "Is everything okay?"

All three vampires looked to her, but it was Carlisle who spoke. "Bella isn't alone."

Danielle frowned with confusion, unsure what he meant by that. Before she had the chance to ask, however, the doorbell rang. Carlisle and Esme immediately got up to answer the door, disappearing in a flash. Danielle stared at the spaces they had just occupied before looking to Alice again, who was staring back at her with furrowed brows. Unsure what was going on and unable to handle the suspense any longer, Danielle finally left the kitchen and went to the stairs, able to hear Carlisle and Esme greeting Bella and whoever else had come at the door. It wasn't until she was about halfway down the stairs that she finally saw who had come, her body freezing with surprise.

 _Lynne_ was there, standing just inside the doorway with Bela, Carlisle, and Esme and looking beyond anxious. Danielle was beyond shocked to see her, too – after the way their conversation had gone, she hadn't anticipated she would see or talk to her mother again anytime soon.

"Mom?" Danielle asked when she recovered from her surprise. She went down to the bottom step, her brows creasing with confusion. "What're you doing here?"

"I…came to talk," Lynne said, her smile jittery and nervous. "Do you have a moment?"

Danielle glanced at Carlisle and Esme, who were watching her carefully, then at Bella, who nodded behind Lynne in encouragement. She looked back to her mother, cleared her throat, then nodded. "Sure," she said. "Carlisle, can we use your office?" she asked, looking to her soon to be father-in-law.

"Absolutely," he agreed without hesitation.

Lynne smiled at Carlisle and Esme politely, then joined Danielle on the stairs. Together, they went up to the second floor, both of them glancing at Alice as they passed through the living room. Alice smiled at them in what seemed like an encouraging manner. Danielle quickly led her mother into the office, and once they were both inside, Danielle shut the door behind them.

She turned around to face Lynne, crossing her arms over her chest. "I didn't think you'd come here. This is…unexpected," she admitted.

"I know," Lynne said. "And I'm sorry to barge in like this, but…I've been thinking about the things you told me yesterday _all_ night long, and I just… _had_ to come over and get a few things off my chest."

Danielle pressed her lips together, unsure if what was about to happen was going to be good or bad. "I'm listening."

Lynne nodded, then turned away from her to suck in a deep breath and walk a little further in Carlisle's office. When she turned back around to face Danielle, her face was full of guilt.

"You were right," she said first and foremost, which had Danielle's eyebrows raising. "You're _not_ a kid anymore. If I'm being honest, you haven't been a kid for a long time," Lynne admitted with a shake of her head. "It was hard, raising you alone. We've never had a lot of money. Never had nice cars or nice things. I had to work so many odd jobs over the years to support us, jobs that meant weird hours and late nights and a lot of time away from you. Me being gone so much meant that you were on your own more often than I liked. You had to learn to take care of yourself while I tried to make enough money for us to make end's meat – and there were so many times where it was _you_ taking care of _me,_ as well. You've always been mature," Lynne said with a nod. "You've always been so strong and so… _grown up_. It wasn't fair of me to suggest otherwise."

Lynne wrung her hands together, sighing heavily. "I meant it when I said that it was killing me that you haven't been around. You're not just my daughter, Danielle. You're…you're my _best friend_. It's always been us. You and me taking care of each other, having _fun_ together. I may regret a lot of the things I've done in the past, but I have never, for even one _second_ , regretting having you. I've loved every single moment we've shared together. I've _cherished_ our time together, because having you with me is the best, most _special_ thing to ever happen to me."

Danielle pressed her lips together, able to feel tears coming on already.

"I told you yesterday that I was afraid you would end up like me," Lynne continued. "That was true…but it wasn't the _entire_ truth. I think what _really_ frightens me, even _more so_ than the fear of this marriage between you and Jasper not working out, is the thought of… _losing you_."

Danielle frowned and shook her head in confusion. "Losing me?" she echoed.

Lynne nodded. "When Jasper came into the picture, things began to change. I could see how much you loved him, even before _you_ knew that you loved him. I wasn't the most important person to you anymore. _He_ was. And I know that's normal. You were always bound to start loving someone more than you love me. I just…didn't think it would happen so _soon_ ," she said with a sad smile.

"After what happened in Phoenix, I realized how _quickly_ this world could take you away from me," Lynne said next, her expression turning to one of pain as she thought back to what had happened in March. "It was _terrifying_. I can't stand the thought of living in a world that _you_ aren't in. If anything happened to you, I would _never, ever_ recover from it, Danielle. _Never_ ," she said adamantly. "I made a promise to myself that I would keep you close. I was lucky that you hadn't been taken away from me, and I was determined to make the most of every moment we had to together." Lynne frowned now. "But then you got engaged. And I realized that no matter what I did, no matter how hard I fought…I was going to lose you anyway. Because now you have Jasper. And once you're married, you're not gonna need _me_ anymore."

Danielle immediately shook her head. "No. That's not true. I'll _always_ need you, mom. You're my _mother_ ," she insisted. "Jasper is important to me, yes. And I love him more than anything. But _you're_ important to me, too." Danielle moved so that she was right in front of Lynne and grabbed both of her hands. "You say I'm your best friend? Well, I feel the same," she said, which had Lynne making an emotional sound in her throat. "I _love_ you, mom. You took care of me. You made sure I had everything I needed and that I was _happy._ You are a _wonderful_ mother. You keep saying you don't want me to end up like you, but…you know what? I'd be _damn proud_ if I ended up being even _half_ the woman you are."

Lynne looked like she was on the verge of tears. She sniffled loudly and squeezed Danielle's hands. "I'm supposed to be the one making big speeches here," she said in an attempt to make a joke and lighten the mood a little.

Danielle just smiled, her own eyes feeling rather on the watery side by this point.

Lynne sucked in a deep breath, then squeezed her hands again. "I should've aid this yesterday, but…I'm sorry. A mother is supposed to support her children, and I haven't been doing that. Not even close." Lynne gave her a small smile. "I can't promise you that I won't still worry, because you're my daughter and I only want what's best for you. But like you said, this is your life. You're of age now, and you should be free to make your own decisions. In the end, all that I _really_ want is for you to be happy, Dani," she said with a nod. "If marrying Jasper is what makes you happy, then…I won't stand in the way of that."

Danielle was almost afraid to believe what she was hearing. "So you're saying…?"

Lynne smiled. "I'm giving you my blessing to marry Jasper. And if you'll have me, I would love to be in attendance when you become husband and wife," she said.

Danielle couldn't help it. She was so overwhelmed with relief that she burst into tears, unable to speak as she hugged her mother tightly. Lynne began crying as well, wrapping Danielle up in a bone crushing hug, pressing a number of kisses to Danielle's hair as they embraced. When they finally separated, they both wiped at their faces and sniffled loudly, before looking at each other and letting out watery laughs.

"God, we're a mess," Danielle said, still wiping at her eyes.

"Yes, we are," Lynne agreed. She swiped at one last tear, then paced her hands on Danielle's shoulders. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm sorry for everything. Can you forgive me?"

Danielle smiled. "Of course. But only if you can forgive me for being a brat and basically running away from home. Deal?" she asked.

Lynne nodded. "Deal."

They hugged again, laughing now. Danielle was smiling so widely she thought her face might actually split in two – after how catastrophic their conversation had seemed the day before, the _last_ thing she had expected was for her mother to seek her out and have such a meaningful heart to heart. But something must have gotten through to her and made her see things in a different light, because now here Lynne was, spilling her heart out, and now everything had suddenly and drastically gotten _so_ much better between them. Danielle smiled to herself as she hugged her mother even tighter. Alice had been right about her and her mother after all – all she had needed to do was be patient and wait for it to happen.

"Where's Jasper?" Lynne asked when they separated again. "I'd like to talk to him, too."

Danielle shook her head. "He's gone camping with his brothers. They won't be back until tomorrow."

"Oh, okay," Lynne said, though she seemed a bit disappointed not to be able to make amends with Jasper straight away. "I'll just have to talk to him another time, then," she said, which made Danielle nod. "Anyway," Lynne continued, smiling now. "Word on the street is you're going wedding dress shopping."

Danielle nodded. "You heard correct," she confirmed. "I have an appointment in an hour."

Lynne grinned and raised her eyebrows. "Mind if I tag along?"

Danielle smiled at once. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

As weird and uncomfortable as everything had been between Danielle and Lynne for the last two weeks, now that they had cleared the air, everything had immediately gone back to normal. There was no lingering awkwardness between them or anything of the sort – everything felt _good_ again. Everything felt _right_.

The entire ride to Port Angeles was spent updating Lynne on all the wedding details, from the flower arrangements to the song they had picked for their first dance to the honeymoon they were going to take in South America. As opposed as she had been to the idea of Danielle getting married, it was rather amazing how quickly Lynne got excited as she heard about all the wedding plans. In the end, she demanded that she and Alice start letting her help them with the planning and offered up her checkbook for any expenses that needed to be paid. Danielle and Alice, of course, were happy to agree to let her help, though Danielle told her to keep her money since almost everything was paid for already.

When they finally reached the dress shop, they were all bubbling with excitement as they stepped in. Even Bella looked a lot less frightened than Danielle had expected – the good mood must have been rubbing off on her, too. They checked in for Danielle's appointment, and after they were greeted by an employee name Mary, Alice quickly took charge of picking out dresses for Danielle to try on and headed with Mary to start hunting down the perfect dress. Danielle took that opportunity to start perusing bridesmaid's dresses with Bella, while Esme and Lynne wandered off to look for dresses for themselves.

"I'm glad things are good with you and your mom again," Bella said with a smile.

Danielle glanced toward Lynne, who was laughing at something Esme was saying, then smiled at Bella. "Me too," she agreed. "Thanks for bringing her along with you today."

"It was her idea," Bella admitted. "She came over to talk to me about you, then basically _demanded_ to come along when I told her I was coming to see you. She was pretty determined," she said with a smirk.

Danielle grinned at that, feeling even better as she heard how set Lynne had been on finally fixing things between them. "She's pretty headstrong when she sets her mind to something," she said with a nod.

"Sounds like someone else I know," Bella said pointedly.

Danielle just shot her a smirk, then turned her attention back to the dresses.

"Oh, Daaaaaniiiiii," a singsong voice interjected, making both her and Bella turn around. Alice was practically skipping toward them, a huge smile stretched across her face. The vampire was having an absolute blast already, and they hadn't even gotten to the good part yet. "I've got dresses for you to try on, so get your butt in that dressing room," she said, grabbing her gently by the arm and then shoving her in the direction of the fitting rooms.

"What about Bella's dress?" she asked.

"Already on it," Alice said, before turning to the nearest clothing rack and beginning to quickly flick through the dresses.

Danielle glanced at Bella, who looked alarmed now as Alice began holding up dresses next to her and talking a mile a minute. Bella shot Danielle a _'help me'_ look, but Danielle just laughed and shrugged, before leaving the two behind and continuing on to the fitting room, where Mary was waiting. As she stepped into the fitting room, she saw four bags hanging from a hook on the wall, which meant that Alice had pulled four dresses for her to try on. With Mary's help, Danielle put on the first one, which was a strapless, mermaid style dress that clung to every single curve she owned. As pretty as the dress was and as flattering as it made her figure look, Danielle knew straight was that it _wasn't_ the dress. It was a little too sexy, whereas she preferred classier styles.

When she went out to show off the dress, and found her group of supporters lounging on a couch in front of a platform surrounded by three mirrors. They _oohed_ and _ahhed_ when she stepped into view, but when Danielle told them she didn't think it as the right dress, they seemed to think the same thing – they all mutually agreed it was pretty and looked good on her, but that she should definitely keep looking.

Danielle quickly went back to the fitting room to try on the next one. The second dress was a massive ball gown style, with a huge skirt that weighed a ton and more tulle than Danielle knew how to handle. Even as she and Mary struggled to get the thing on and secured, she could feel herself beginning to sweat a little. Once the dress was on, she somehow managed to squeeze through the door to go and show the rest of the ladies.

"Oh, that's pretty!" Lynne said excitedly when she caught sight of her. No surprise there, since gaudy, flashy things tended to catch Lynne's eye.

Danielle managed to get up onto the platform without falling over, and once she could see herself in the mirrors, she examined herself critically, one brow inching upwards. "I look like a cupcake," she finally concluded.

Bella snorted at that, while the others just laughed and shook their heads. "A very _beautiful_ cupcake," Esme offered.

"But a cupcake nonetheless," Alice said. "Next!" she then ordered with a wave of her hand.

It was back to the dressing room, where she struggled for a solid five minutes to get out of the huge ball gown. Once she was free of all the fabric, Mary unzipped the bag for the third dress and pulled it out to show Danielle. This one was made purely of satin and had very little embellishment, the neckline was a modest boat neck style and the sleeves went down to her elbows. As she put it on, she decided it wasn't a bad dress – it was cut well and very classy, yes, but it seemed too simple. When she stepped out to show it off, the others agreed.

"Too simple," Alice and Lynne said at the same time.

"Agreed," Esme said, while Bella just nodded.

With that being said, Danielle went back into the dressing room for the fourth dress. As Mary unzipped the bag it had been in and Danielle was able to see the last dress that Alice had pulled, she felt her breath catch.

It was, hands down, the most beautiful dress she had ever seen.

Mary the employee helped her into it, and once it was on, all Danielle could do was stare at herself in awe. The top was fitted and lacy, with a v-neckline and lace cap sleeves to cover her shoulders. It cinched in at the waist to flatter her figure, but then flowed out from the hips into an a-line skirt that had _just_ enough poof to be fancy, but would still allow her to move freely and not need help whenever she would need to go to the bathroom. It was modest and elegant and romantic, with the right amount of embellishment to give that extra bit of fanciness and just enough cleavage to have a hint of sex-appeal.

It was _perfect._

Danielle stared at herself for a moment longer, then grinned at Mary, who had a knowing look on her face. "Let's go show them," she suggested.

Danielle nodded, then followed the employee out of the dressing room. When she stepped into view and the others were able to see her, she was immediately met with the sounds of awed gasps. Danielle couldn't stop herself from grinning as she stood back up on the platform in front of the mirror, loving the dress more and more the longer she looked at it.

"Oh, _Dani_ ," Lynne gushed. It wasn't surprising to see that there were tears in her eyes. "You look _so beautiful."_

"You _really_ do," Esme agreed, looking just as emotional as she and Lynne clutched one another's hands.

"It's great, isn't it?" Danielle asked, running her hands along the fabric in amazement.

"It's _better_ than great," Bella corrected with a smile.

Alice suddenly appeared by Danielle's elbow, a knowing smile stretched across her face. All while she had been trying on dresses, Danielle had been watching the vampire's facial expressions to search for that look that would tell her when she had on the dress that Alice had seen in her vision. Right now, as she wore this beautiful, perfect dress, that telling look she had been waiting for was shining out of Alice's eyes clear as day.

"What do you think, Dani?" she asked, her brows raising meaningfully.

Danielle glanced at herself, then nodded. She simply couldn't imagine finding anything she would like better than this one. Anything she saw from here on out she would only compare to this one. This one felt right, and she was always one to go with her gut her instinct.

"This is the one!" Danielle announced excitedly.

The next thing she knew, she was being bombarded by cheers and hugs and, on Lynne's part, tears of happiness. Danielle laughed, taking the time to hug each person in return, laughing and tearing up and just generally feeling overwhelmed. Finally, Alice stepped in and began to shoo everyone away.

"Easy now! We don't want to mess up the dress!" she said, waving for the ladies to step back and give Danielle some breathing room. "Let's go get you changed, before anything catastrophic happens!" she said, turning to Danielle to help her down from the platform. "Then it's Bella's turn!" Alice added with a wink.

Bella just groaned, while everyone else laughed.

Finding Bella's dress was the easy part. Danielle and Alice had already known what color they were looking for, so it was only a matter of deciding which style suited Bella best. In the end, they picked out a dark green strapless dress with a fitted top and a flowy skirt, which flattered Bella's shape and her skin tone. They finally finished up after that, insisting to the employees that they pay in full and take the dresses with them rather than keep them in the store. Thankfully Danielle's wedding dress had not been too over the top pricey, though that hadn't stopped Esme from insisting on splitting the cost with Lynne. After several minutes of going back and forth, they finally reached a compromise – Lynne paid for seventy percent of the dress, while Esme covered the rest _and_ paid for the veil that Danielle had chosen.

After they left the dress shop, they decided to celebrate by going out to eat. It was a happy occasion, full of laughter and conversation as they spent several hours there just hanging out and enjoying each other's company. Danielle sat next to her mother, who hugged her several times and squeezed her hand under the table every so often – she had always been affectionate, but she seemed even more so now, as if she felt the need to make up for all the affection she had missed out on the past few weeks. Danielle didn't mind the attention one bit.

When they realized how long they had been gone for, they decided it was time to leave the restaurant and head back home. Once again, Esme and Lynne battled over who would cover the tab, until eventually they agreed to split it right down the middle. It was late in the afternoon by the time they returned to the Cullen house. As they piled out of the car they had taken to Port Angeles and stood around in the driveway to squeeze in some last minute conversation, Danielle couldn't help the warm, happy feeling engulfing her. It had turned out to be one _heck_ of a good day. Not only had she and her mother finally sorted things out, but she had _also_ found her wedding dress. It was almost a disappointment to have to end what had been such a perfect day.

"You're sure you don't want to come home tonight?" Lynne asked as they stood a little ways away from everyone else.

Danielle smiled, but shook her head. "Jasper and his brother's will be coming back from camping soon, and I'd hate to just up and leave while he's still gone," she said. "But how about he and I come by for dinner tomorrow night?" she suggested. "You can even invite Charlie if you want."

Lynne smiled and nodded. "That sounds nice, but let's just keep it to us three. I'd like to make sure things are completely smoothed over with Jasper before I drag Charlie into it," she said.

"Alright," Danielle agreed.

Lynne stepped forward to hug her, and Danielle readily returned the embrace. Lynne pulled back and smoothed her hair down affectionately. "I'm happy for you, sweetie. I really am. The wedding is going to be amazing, I just know it."

"It'll be even better now that _you're_ gonna be a part of it," Danielle said with a nod.

Lynne grinned, then kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Dani."

"I love you, too, mom," she said back sincerely.

They hugged once more, before finally letting go. Lynne and Bella decided it was time to head home after that, so after a round of goodbyes and a good deal of hugging from all included, the two finally got back into Lynne's car and pulled out of the driveway, honking once as they disappeared down the road. Danielle stood with Alice and Esme, holding her dress in its protective bag, smiling to herself as she watched them go. It was only after the taillights of Lynne's car disappeared that they finally began to head inside.

"Wow," Alice said, grinning to herself as they stepped inside. " _What_ a great day."

"You could say that again," Danielle agreed with a big smile.

She looked down at Esme when the kind vampire squeezed her hand. "I'm so glad you and your mother are on good terms again," Esme told her.

"Me too," Danielle agreed.

Esme smiled, then gave her a meaningful look. "If you decide to move back in with Lynne, that's perfectly understandable. But know that if you decide you'd like to stay _here_ , that will be just as fine," she said with a nod. "You're one of us now. You're free to live here as long as you want to."

Danielle squeezed the vampire's hand gratefully. "Thank you, Esme. I'll think about it, okay?"

"Alright," Esme agreed.

As they went inside and trudged up to the second floor, Carlisle stepped into view. "How did it go?" he asked with interest.

"Great!" Danielle said with a nod. "Bella and I both got our dresses!" she added, holding up the bag containing her wedding dress.

"That's wonderful news," Carlisle said with a grin and a nod.

Alice suddenly glanced up toward the top floor, before sharing a grin with Esme that Danielle didn't quite understand the meaning behind. Before she could ask, Alice turned to Danielle with expectant eyes. "I'll take that from you now," she said, gesturing to the wedding dress.

Danielle held the dress tighter, almost possessively, unwilling to part with the beautiful garment just yet. "Already?"

Alice nodded. "Yep. I need to get started on alterations, and it needs to be kept in a safe space so that none of the boys try to snoop," she said.

Danielle pursed her lips, but then sighed with defeat and handed the dress over. "Alright," she said, frowning sadly when Alice took the dress from her and cradled it carefully.

"I'm going to take this to my room," she said, already heading up the stairs. "Make sure Jasper knows he's not allowed to see it before the wedding," she called as she left.

"Will do," Danielle promised.

Once Alice was gone, Danielle started to head into the living room to relax on the couch. Before she could get far, however, Carlisle raised his brows at her. "Something arrived for you while you were out," he said, making her pause in surprise.

"Really? What is it?" she asked curiously. What could have possibly come for her? Were people sending gifts already?

"I cannot say for sure," he said with a shrug. "But I put it in yours and Jasper's room if you would like to see what it is."

Danielle nodded, then, her curiosity getting the better of her, she changed directions and headed for the stairs. Once she was on the top floor, she made a beeline for Jasper's room, pushing the door open once she reached it. Any confusion she had been feeling disappeared the moment she saw what was waiting for.

It wasn't a wedding gift or anything of that sort.

The surprise waiting for her in Jasper's room was Jasper _himself_. They had come back early!

Danielle froze when she saw him standing right smack in the middle of the room. And God, did he look _good._ Hunting had put a little color in his cheeks, and his eyes seemed brighter than normal. He was smirking as he stared back at her, and it was obvious he had been waiting there to surprise her.

"Hello, darlin'," he greeted.

A huge grin split Danielle's face, and before she knew it, she was hurrying over as fast as her boot would allow. "Jazz!" she said excitedly, before literally throwing herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

He laughed at her enthusiasm, but stopped when she pressed her lips against his. He moaned with pleasure instead and wrapped a hand into her hair, keeping her lips against his as he eagerly returned her kiss. When they pulled apart, his eyes were dark and Danielle's expression was dreamy.

"If _that_ is how I'm going to be greeted whenever I come back from hunting, I might have to leave more often," Jasper murmured, nuzzling his nose against hers.

"You will _not_ ," Danielle denied at once. "I missed you way too much."

Jasper smiled. "I missed you, too."

He pecked her lips once more, then set her back down on her feet. Danielle stayed close though, keeping her arms wrapped around his neck as she stared up st him with a love-struck grin. "Did you have fun?"

Jasper nodded. "It was fine. I would have happily returned after the first day, but Emmett forced me and Edward to stay," he said with a shrug. "I want to hear about what _you_ have been doing, though. Carlisle didn't go into detail, but from what I understand, you've had an eventful couple of days in my absence," he said, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," she agreed with a sigh. "I had a nightmare about James and Victoria," she revealed first. "I think I freaked everyone out, because they all came to see what was going on. Even _Rosalie_ came," she said.

Jasper frowned deeply at that. He never liked it when she had nightmares. "I'm sorry I wasn't there," he said, touching her cheek gently. "Are you alright?" he asked with concern.

Danielle shrugged. "I wasn't doing so great, but Alice stayed with me, so that helped. I'm good now."

Jasper hummed and glanced toward the bed. "So _that's_ why our bed smells like Alice," he commented. Danielle nodded in confirmation. "What else happened?" he asked next.

"I, er…might have hurt my ankle a little," she said. Jasper's eyes immediately filled with worry. "It wasn't anything serious," she added quickly. "Alice was trying to wake me up during my nightmare and I guess I kinda fought back. I kicked her in my sleep and then my ankle swelled up a little."

"But it's feeling better now?" Jasper asked.

"It's fine," she said reassuringly.

Jasper looked relieved. "Good. Now," he said, moving on with the conversation, "do you want to explain why your mother's scent is downstairs?"

Danielle quickly launched into the retelling of her conversations with her mother, first the catastrophic one at the bookshop, and then the wonderful, heartfelt one they'd had in Carlisle's office. By the time she was done, Jasper was grinning. "Darlin', that's _wonderful_ ," he said with an earnest nod. "I'm so happy to hear that you two have finally worked things out."

"Me too," she agreed. "For a second there, I was really convinced it _wouldn't_. I can't even begin to describe how relieved I am to have her back."

"I think I have an idea," he said with a meaningful look, obviously hinting that he could _feel_ her relief.

Danielle smiled at that. "If you're up for it, she wants us over for dinner tomorrow. She wants to smooth things over with you next. You game?" she asked.

Jasper nodded. "Sure. I can suffer through some human food it means getting back on good terms with your mother," he agreed.

"Great," Danielle said with a nod of approval. "I'll call her in the morning to let her know we're coming."

"Sounds like a plan," Jasper said. He glanced toward the door for a moment, then looked back down at her, his brows raising a tick. "One last question – did I hear something about a wedding dress?" he asked with interest.

Danielle smiled slyly. "You did. As it just so happens, I bought myself a wedding dress today."

Jasper grinned widely. "Did you now? Any chance I get to know what it looks like?" he said with a waggle of his brows.

"Absolutely not," Danielle denied with a firm shake of her head. "You're under strict instruction to keep away, otherwise Alice might hurt you."

Jasper clicked his tongue in disapproval, though he didn't really look _that_ disappointed. Considering how traditional he was with just about everything else, she had a feeling he wouldn't have wanted to see it until she was coming down the aisle anyway. "I tried," he said with a shrug.

"You did," Danielle agreed.

Jasper grinned at her, then let out a long exhale and pulled her closer. Danielle felt her heart skip a beat, then begin to hammer faster in her chest as one hand slid around to her back, slowly trailing up her spine until it was on the base of her neck. Jasper looked at her intently, his eyes sweeping all along her features as if memorizing them, before they settled firmly on her lips. She couldn't help but lick her own lips in anticipation, which made his eyes darken a tick.

"You'll have to forgive me, but I think I'm finished with talking for now," he said, his tone more gravelly than usual. "It has been three _very_ long and _very_ torturous days without you, and I think we've got some lost time to make up for."

Danielle pressed closer, her arms sliding around his neck as a smile tugged at her lips. "I think you just might be right about that." They'd have plenty of time to talk later, she decided – right now, she just wanted his lips on hers.

Jasper smirked and leaned down so that his mouth was a hairsbreadth away from hers. "Kiss me like you miss me, darlin'," he said, using her exact same words from the night he had left.

And Danielle was all too happy to oblige his request.

* * *

 **Hope you liked it!**


	24. Chapter Twenty-three

**Hey, guys! Remember me?**

 **I'm a bad author, I know. I cannot tell you how sorry I am for how long it's been since I updated. These first four chapters of Part Two are all new material, which meant I had nothing old to work off of, and the writer's block I experience with this chapter was just horrid. It seemed to take** ** _forever_** **to finally overcome it. Thankfully, however, the next few chapters delve back into old material, which means the writing process should be a little faster. Hopefully there will not be such a long lag between updates from here on out.**

 **Anyway, thank you to everyone has added this story to their alert/favorite list, left reviews, sent messages, or even just taken the time to read. An even bigger thank you is in store for everyone who has been so patient with me. I can't thank you enough for the support! This chapter is extra long to make up for lack of updates, and I really hope you enjoy it!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I own nothing related to the Twilight franchise, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Four_

 _July_

The weeks leading up to the wedding positively flew by. Between dress fittings, food tastings, meetings with vendors, and just generally running around like a chicken with her head cut off, Danielle felt like she merely _blinked_ and the wedding was upon her. It had been a little stressful and a little nerve wracking, simply because planning a wedding was a lot of work – even with tons of help from Alice and Jasper and their families, there just seemed to always be _something_ to do.

But in spite of all the stress, Danielle was still over the moon _excited_. The wedding felt more and more real with each day, and the knowledge that she and Jasper were so close to being husband and wife was something that made her happier than she had ever been in her entire life. Everything had been a little bit of a whirlwind, yes, but it was a _good_ whirlwind. She simply couldn't _wait_ until the big day finally came, couldn't _wait_ to say her vows and officially become Jasper's wife.

As the last Monday before the wedding arrived, Danielle knew she was in for a very busy week. There were tons of decorations that needed to be organized and made ready to transport to the venue she and Jasper were getting married at, as well as a few last little details to finalize. Her mother's house also needed to be set up for the rehearsal dinner, which was on Friday night, and there was a little bachelorette party scheduled for Thursday – she and her closest girlfriends would be going to the spa for the day to get pampered before the wedding.

The first order of business to take care of, however, was perhaps the one thing she had been looking forward to the most – other than the actual wedding itself, of course. Monday was the day that _Tom_ arrived, and the impending reunion with her lifelong best friend had her feeling so excited that she could hardly even _stand_ it.

Danielle bounced on the balls of her feet, her eyes eagerly scanning the faces of the people passing by. The baggage claim area at the airport in Port Angeles was fairly crowded considering it was a Monday afternoon, but of all the people coming and going, the one face she was beginning to feel _desperate_ to see had not yet appeared.

"Where is he?" Danielle demanded with an impatient groan, her eyes turning to the screen entitled _Arrivals._ The flight from Houston was marked as having arrived, and yet _still_ there was no sign of Tom anywhere.

"He will show up soon enough," Jasper said, the picture of calm as he stood with his hands resting comfortably in the pockets of his jeans. "Be patient," he added with a smirk.

Danielle just heaved, feeling anything _but_ patient. The car ride in had been way too long, even in spite of Jasper's way too fast driving, and time seemed to have slowed to a glacial pace. "I _can't_ be patient. I feel like I'm literally gonna explode out of my skin," Danielle said, fiddling anxiously with the sign she had brought to wave around and catch Tom's attention whenever he finally showed.

Jasper quirked an amused eyebrow. "I don't think I have ever seen you like this, darlin'," he commented. "I've never felt you so excited."

"Tom is my _best friend_ ," she said with a pointed look. "Like, I absolutely _adore_ Bella and Emmett and Alice, but Tom is different. We've known each other all our lives. He's not just a friend, he's my _brother_ ," she explained. "We've never been apart for this long. I've just missed him so _much_."

Jasper smiled and moved a hand from his pocket to wrap an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in close to his side. "I know you have, darlin'. I'm sure he's missed you, too."

"Of _course_ he has!" Danielle said with a teasing huff, which made Jasper smirk again. She smiled at him, then sighed as she leaned against him. "It'll be so good to see him again," she said. "And I'm glad he finally gets to meet _you_."

"I'm glad I finally get to meet him, too," Jasper said with a nod. "I've heard so much about him. It will be nice to finally get to know him."

"I have a feeling you two are gonna get along just fine," Danielle said with confidence. "Though I feel like I should warn you that you're probably gonna see a different side of me while he's here. Tom and I kinda tend to turn into immature idiots when we're together," she admitted with a sheepish smile.

Jasper chuckled and tightened his arm around her a little. "I'll still love you anyway," he promised, winking down at her.

Danielle smirked. "You damn well _better._ We're getting married in five days. It's too late to back out now, Hale."

Jasper leaned down to give her a lingering kiss, one that made her heart stutter in her chest. "I'm not going _anywhere_ , darlin'," he promised, his eyes burning as they held hers.

Danielle grinned and started to lean in to kiss him again, but it was in that exact moment that she saw a tall figure from the corner of her eye. Turning her head quickly, she just about exploded with happiness when her eyes landed on a guy she could have picked out of a crowd _blindfolded_ because she knew him so well. His hair was dark and short, styled in a messy, yet fashionable way. His bright blue eyes contrasted nicely against his tan skin, and though he had a bit of a baby face, the small amount of scruff he was sporting made him look older. It was Tom. He looked exactly as she remembered – tall and lean and boyishly handsome, and he was certainly a sight for sore eyes.

He hadn't seen her yet, so Danielle broke away from Jasper to wave around the sign she had brought. " _PICKLES!"_ she shouted loudly, making everyone within a five foot radius jump in surprise.

Tom's eyes found her immediately, and the moment he saw the sign she was waving, he rolled his eyes and started laughing. She had printed out a huge picture of Tommy Pickles from the _Rugrats_ , and it was earning her a lot of weird looks as she waved it around excitedly. She supposed it wasn't an everyday occurrence to see someone waving a picture of a cartoon baby – even Jasper had been a little weirded out by it when he had first seen it. Tom got the joke, though, just as she knew he would, and that was all that mattered.

As Tom started toward them, she shoved the picture into Jasper's hands and took off as fast as her still-healing ankle would allow. The moment she reached Tom she threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. He lifted her clear off her feet and swung her around in a circle, the both of them laughing gleefully at being reunited again after so long. He finally set her back on her feet, but squeezed her tightly for another few seconds before finally letting her go.

"Damn, is it good to see _you_ , Dani-lani-ding-dong," he said, grinning widely as he ruffled her curls. "You look great," he complimented.

Danielle mirrored his grin. "You do too! Check out that facial hair!" she said, patting his face affectionately. "How was the flight?"

Tom nodded. "It was great. Sat next to a sassy old lady who spent the whole flight telling me about all the wild stuff she did at Woodstock," he recounted.

Danielle snorted. "Sounds like a catch. Did you get her number?" she teased.

"Unfortunately, no. Don't think I'm her type," Tom joked back.

"Her loss then," Danielle said with a click of her tongue.

They shared a laugh, before Tom glanced back toward where Jasper stood, still holding the picture of Tommy Pickles and watching from afar as they reunited. Tom's brows raised when he got a good look at Jasper, before he turned an impressed look on her.

"That's him?" he asked. Danielle nodded in confirmation. "Damn, Dani," he said, whistling. "I'm straight, and even _I_ can see that he is one _good_ _looking_ dude," he commented. He then held up his hand for a high five. "Well done, man."

Danielle smacked his hand with her own, smiling proudly. "Thanks. Now stop staring and come meet him," she said, before grabbing him by the wrist.

Tom, however, planted his feet and resisted her pull. "Hold on," he said, giving her a stern look. "You're forgetting something here, my friend," he added pointedly.

Danielle frowned for a moment, then grinned when she realized what he was referring to. Their super secret handshake. How could she _forget_?

She turned to face him, and right there in front of everyone at baggage claim, they performed their handshake. It involved a lot of fancy hand gestures, more than a few silly dance moves, and a loud bird call at the end that turned several heads. When they had completed their handshake, which, admittedly, was probably way longer than it needed to be, they started cracking up and hugged each other again.

"Alright, now I'm ready to meet Jasper," he announced as they parted.

Danielle nodded, and with that they finally made their way over to Jasper. Jasper stood a bit taller as they approached, his amber eyes doing a quick sweep over Tom. For one brief second Danielle frowned, suddenly worried that maybe Jasper wasn't so pleased with how affectionate she and Tom were with each other. But then Jasper looked at her and smiled easily, his demeanor relaxed as they approached. She breathed a sigh of relief to see that he didn't look mad or put off by the exchange he had witnessed.

"Jasper," she said, sliding an arm around his waist and cuddling up to his side, "it is with _great_ pleasure that I introduce you to my super fantastic brother from another mother, Tom," she said with a grin. "Tom, it is with _just_ as much pleasure that I introduce you to my smoking hot and amazingly wonderful fiancé, Jasper."

Tom and Jasper both smirked in amusement at the way she had described them, before reaching out to shake each other's hands. "Glad to make your acquaintance," Jasper said politely. "I have heard a _lot_ about you."

"Likewise," Tom said with a friendly smile. "Dani basically hasn't shut up about you since the day you two met," he felt the need to disclose.

Danielle blushed, while Jasper smirked down at her. "That so?" he asked.

"Oh yeah," Tom confirmed. "Almost all of our conversations for the past eight months have been _Jasper this_ and _Jasper that._ She's had the hots for you since the start."

Danielle flushed furiously. Jasper _knew_ how she felt about him, of course, but to have Tom laying out all her business within seconds of meeting Jasper left her with an ominous feeling. There were certain conversations that were supposed to remain between her and Tom – exactly how many more secrets did her best friend intend to reveal to Jasper purely to embarrass her?

"Gee, thanks Tom," she said sarcastically.

"What?" he asked innocently. "It's the truth."

Jasper smirked and shrugged, one long arm sliding around her waist. "He's not saying anything I wasn't already _well_ aware of, darlin'," he said with a distinct hint of smugness. "You have absolutely _no_ poker face. Everything you feel is always written right there on that pretty face of yours."

Tom nodded at once. "The man is right, Dani," he agreed.

Danielle crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, be that as it _may_ , that doesn't change the fact that _you've_ always had the hots for _me_ too," she reminded him with a defensive huff. "So _there_."

Jasper smirked. "Never said I didn't," he countered. He pressed a quick kiss to her temple while she grumbled under her breath, then turned a curious look on Tom. "So…any more of Danielle's secrets I should know about?" he asked with interest.

Tom's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Where do I even _start_?" he asked, rubbing his hands together evilly.

Danielle gaped at the both of them in disbelief, taking in the similar mischievous gleams that entered their eyes as they shared a knowing look. Jasper and Tom hadn't even known each other for five minutes and they were _already_ ganging up on her. As happy as she was that they appeared to like each other so far, if _this_ was how they were _now_ then she didn't even want to _think_ how much worse their teasing would get as they got to know each other better.

" _You_ are a butthead," she said, pointing to Tom. "And _you!_ " she accused next, turning her stern finger on Jasper. "You're supposed to be on _my side_."

Jasper smirked and pulled her a little tighter into his side, tilting his head down so their eyes were level. "I'm _always_ on your side," he promised.

The way he was looking at her immediately stole her breath away and had her unconsciously melting into him. Jasper smirked and pressed a kiss to her forehead, before lifting his head to turn his attention back to Tom. Danielle blinked and looked back to her friend as well, who was glancing back and forth between the two of them with raised brows.

"Shall we collect your bag?" Jasper asked.

Tom nodded, and after Jasper pecked her on the temple, the two of them went to the baggage claim carousel to find Tom's suitcase. Danielle watched them go, smiling to herself a bit as she watched her two favorite men chat casually with one another, before quickly following after them.

After they left the airport, they went directly to her mother's house. They talked nonstop the entire drive, and even though they hadn't seen each other for eight months and had been living two very different lives since Danielle had moved to Washington, absolutely nothing felt different between them. They caught each other up on things they had been doing, laughed over shared memories that they were more than happy to tell Jasper about, and sang along with the radio whenever a song they liked came on. It felt like they had never been apart in the first place. It felt like they were merely picking right back up exactly where they had left off.

They finally pulled up to Lynne's house around four. Though she and her mother were very much on good terms now, it had seemed pointless to move back in only to move out again after she and Jasper were married, so Danielle had made the Cullen house her permanent residence for the time being. That meant that her room was now open to serve as a guest room, and there seemed no better place for Tom to stay while he was in town than with her mother, who absolutely adored him to pieces. When they pulled into the driveway, the front door opened and Lynne came hurrying out to greet them.

"Thomas Fitzpatrick!" she said excitedly, wrapping Tom up in a bear hug as soon as he was out of the car. "I am _so_ happy to see you!"

"The feeling's mutual, Momma Clark," Tom said, grinning as he hugged her back.

Lynne pulled away to place her hands on Tom's cheeks, her eyes looking him over with fondness. "Look at you. So handsome!"

Tom grinned and modestly waved off her compliments. "Stop before you make me blush!"

Lynne laughed and patted his cheek. "I only speak the truth!" she insisted, before moving to usher him inside. "Now let's go inside and get you settled."

The four of them headed inside. While Jasper and her mother went into the living room to get comfortable, Danielle showed Tom to her old bedroom so he could set down his things. They walked into the room, which she had mostly cleared of her possessions after she had made her stay with the Cullen's more long term, and Tom immediately went to the bed to set his luggage on top of it. He glanced around, then looked over at her.

"This is a nice place," he commented.

"Yeah, it's not too bad," Danielle agreed with a nod. "Most of my stuff has been cleared out, so there's plenty of room in the closet for your clothes," she said, moving to open the closet door and show him the available space.

Tom nodded, then opened up his suitcase to pull out a garment bag, which she could only assume contained his suit for the wedding. "Better hang this up now before it gets too creased," he said, hanging the suit up in the closet.

"Good idea. Alice might hurt you if you show up to the wedding looking like a slob," Danielle said with a smirk.

Tom smiled and crossed his arms over her chest. "Speaking of Alice, when do I get to meet the famous sister-in-law?" he asked.

Danielle bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling knowingly. His tone was casual, but there was a certain look in his eyes that spoke volumes. She knew Tom like the back of her hand, and it was obvious that he was eager to meet Alice, only he seemed to be trying not to show it.

"You'll meet her tomorrow," Danielle said with a nod. "There's a bunch of stuff to do for the wedding, and since you're the Man of Honor, that means _you_ are automatically obligated to help," she said, poking his shoulder.

"Alright," Tom replied with a nod. "I'm looking forward to finally meeting Alice in person," he said, smiling again.

Danielle finally quirked a knowing brow. "I bet you are," she said in a meaningful tone. Tom said nothing to that, just huffed and looked elsewhere. "She's looking forward to meeting you, too, just so you know," she added, which made him look back at her. He seemed happy to hear it. "She actually wanted to come with us to pick you up, but I made her stay back," Danielle admitted.

Tom's frown was instant. "Why?" he asked, sounding disappointed.

"Because I'm selfish," Danielle told him with a shrug. "I have a feeling that your attention is gonna be hard to get once Alice comes into the picture," she predicted. "So, just for today, I want it to be like old times. Just me and you, Pickles," she explained with a nod. "Well…me and you _and_ Jasper _and_ my mom," she added, smiling.

Tom's brows relaxed with understanding. "I get it," he said, uncrossing his arms so that he could place his hands on her shoulders. "But just so we're clear, I'm here for _you_ ," he told her, giving her a firm look. "All I plan to do this week is have as much fun with you as possible and be right there next to you while you become an old, married woman."

Danielle smiled at his sweet words, but still gave him a look. "Who you callin' _old_?" she shot back.

Tom just laughed, then pulled her into a hug. Danielle was happy to return the hug, sighing contentedly at the familiar feeling of embracing her best friend, until she patted him on the back and released him.

"C'mon, Tommy," she said. "Let's go back downstairs. My mom's probably _dying_ to talk to you."

Tom nodded. "Okay. First things first, though," he said. Danielle frowned when he pulled a face and pointed at the bed. "You and Jasper haven't done anything on that bed, right?" he asked with a distinctly disgusted expression.

Danielle rolled her eyes. "Really, dude?" she asked disbelievingly.

Tom held his hands up innocently. "Hey, I'm the one who has to sleep in those sheets. I like you and all, but I'm not trying to get yours _or_ Jasper's cooties," he said with a smirk.

Danielle scoff and shook her head. "You're ridiculous."

"You adore me anyway," Tom countered matter-of-factly.

"Fortunately for _you_ , I do," Danielle agreed with a smirk. "Why don't you change out of the germ-infested airplane clothes and then come downstairs," she suggested next. "My mom got all kinds of snacks, _and_ she's making your favorite for dinner tonight."

Tom's eyes brightened instantly. "Enchiladas?" he asked hopefully.

"Yep," Danielle confirmed.

Tom made a reverential sound and smiled widely. "God, I love your mom," he said wistfully.

Danielle laughed. "She loves you, too. Actually, sometimes I think she loves you more than she loves _me_ ," she admitted with a snort.

Tom stood straighter. "Of _course_ she loves me more. How could she _not_?" When Danielle just gave him a look, he laughed and then shoved her toward the door. "Now get outta here so I can change. I'll be down in a few minutes."

Danielle nodded, then turned to leave. She paused in the doorway, though, and turned back to face him. "Tommy?" He stopped what he was doing to raise his brows at her questioningly. Danielle just gave him an adoring smile. "I've missed the absolute _hell_ out of you. I'm so happy you're here."

Tom smiled warmly. "Me too."

Danielle smiled at him for another second, then nodded. "Don't take too long to change," she ordered. "We've got a _lot_ of catching up to do."

Tom saluted her. "Ma'am, yes, ma'am."

* * *

She and Jasper stayed for the rest of the evening, and to say that it was a good time would have been a massive understatement.

Having Tom around made her feel like a piece she hadn't even realized had been missing had suddenly fallen back into place. It felt like they were back in Houston again, where Tom had been such a frequent guest in their house that he had practically _lived_ there. There had been countless nights where her, Tom, and Lynne had sat up for hours, just talking and laughing and enjoying each other's company. It felt like that again, only it was made even _better_ by the fact that Jasper was in the picture now.

Jasper, she happily noticed, didn't take long to warm up to Tom. He had the tendency to be guarded and reserved around new people, but he wasn't with Tom. The longer the night went on, the more obvious it was that he and Tom genuinely liked one another. It was the icing on the cake really – she had the three people she loved most in the world in the same place at the same time, and they all got along famously. It couldn't possibly get better than that.

They finally decided to leave when Tom, who was still on Texas time and feeling a little jetlagged, couldn't contain his yawns anymore. He tried to insist that he wasn't tired and that he wanted to hang out for longer, but he finally gave in when Danielle reminded him that they would have all week to hang out. After several hugs and the reassurance that they would all see each other bright and early, they finally left.

It was late, well past eleven, but she wasn't feeling tired. Maybe it was because she had gotten used to staying up later, or maybe it was just because there was too much excitement in her belly for her to feel any tiredness. Either way, she was wide awake, and as she and Jasper drove back to the Cullen house, she couldn't help but shoot him a smile and squeeze his hand.

"So? What do you think of Tom?" she asked, though she had a feeling she already knew what his answer would be.

Jasper nodded. "He is everything you made him out to be and more," he said, shooting her a smile. "I can see why you are so fond of him."

She smiled at his approval of Tom. "He liked you, I could tell," Danielle said with a nod. "Which is actually _really_ good, considering he tends to be a little protective. I still remember the time some random guy tried to hit on me when we were out bowling. I was uncomfortable and Tom could tell, so he grabbed the heaviest bowling ball he could find, came over to us, and threatened to smash the guy's, erm… _nether regions_ …if he didn't leave me alone," she recalled with a laugh.

Jasper looked amused by the retelling. "I like him even _more_ now," he said matter-of-factly.

Danielle laughed, then looked back to the window. It was only then that she realized that they hadn't taken the usual route home, which had her frowning with confusion.

"Where are we going?" she asked, looking back to Jasper.

Jasper glanced over at her and gave her a lopsided smile. "Somewhere quiet where we can be alone," he told her. "I imagine with Tom here and with everything that needs to be done this week, you and I will not be getting much time to ourselves," he proceeded to explain. He glanced over again and raised her hand to his mouth so he could kiss her knuckles. "I thought it would be nice to get away from everyone and enjoy some privacy while we still can."

Danielle smiled and relaxed in her seat. "That sounds like a good idea," she agreed, more than approving of _any_ plan that meant having Jasper all to herself for a bit.

They drove a little while longer, until they finally reached the coast. Jasper parked close to a cliffside overlooking the water, the scent of the ocean hitting them as they stepped out of the car. Danielle smiled to herself, closing her eyes and breathing in the smells around her, then walked a little closer to the edge of the cliff. She stopped a few feet away from the edge, listening to the waves crashing against the rocks and enjoying the pleasant breeze that whirled around her. She wasn't sure where they were, but that didn't matter – the view was breathtaking.

Jasper joined her, sliding his arms around her waist and pulling her securely to his chest. Danielle rested her arms over his, leaning back against him comfortably. "It's really nice here," she said, her eyes trained on the moon and the way its light glittered off the water.

"Indeed it is," Jasper agreed.

They stood there for a few more moments before finally moving to sit down on the ground. Danielle sat between Jasper's legs, resting back against his chest and feeling safe as he kept his arms around her. She sighed contentedly as she watched the waves rolling into the distance, smiling to herself as Jasper held her tighter and leaned down to press a few soft kisses to her shoulder.

"Can you believe we'll actually be _married_ in five days?" she asked. "If someone told me a year ago that I'd be on the verge of marrying the vampire that I'm _crazy_ in love with, I would have laughed in their face and directed them to the nearest mental hospital."

Jasper chuckled. "I imagine I might have reacted the same way," he said. "I was alone for so long. I did not think I would ever find someone to share my existence with. But then I met a stubborn, brilliant, breathtakingly gorgeous human who flipped my entire world upside down. And now here I am, about to make that wonderful human my wife," he said in her ear.

Danielle smiled at the affection in his tone, her fingers lacing with his. The word _human_ echoed in her ears for a few seconds, though, reminding her of a very important conversation she had been meaning to have with him. She had, once and for all, come to a decision about whether or not she wanted to become a vampire, only she had been waiting until she and Jasper had some alone time to tell him. Considering they spent most of their time in the Cullen house, where there were several vampires that never slept and could hear everything they talked about nearby at all times, the privacy she had wanted for this particular conversation had been difficult to come by. They were alone _now_ , though, and there didn't seem like any better time than the present.

Danielle turned in his arms and moved so that she sat with her knees on either side of his thighs. Jasper's hands automatically went to her waist, his eyes filled with silent question as she linked her hands behind his neck.

"I wanna tell you something," she said, holding his gaze resolutely.

Jasper cocked his head a little. "What is it, darlin'?"

She gave him a long look, her blue eyes studying his amber ones intently. "I want to become a vampire," she said bluntly. Jasper's eyebrows raised in mild surprise. "We've been talking about it for months and I've given this a _lot_ of thought," Danielle continued. "I've weighed the pros and cons more times than I can count, I took the time to consider everything this might effect, I've even talked to _Carlisle_ about it. I finally know what I want, and what I want is to be changed," she said with a firm nod.

Jasper stared at her for a long few moments, his expression not really giving away anything he might be thinking. Finally, he blinked and gave her a questioning look. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I've told you how painful and _dangerous_ the transition is. And you will not be yourself for quite some time afterward," he reminded. "You will be giving up life as you know it, darlin'."

"I know what I'll be giving up," she said with a nod. "But I also know what I'll be _gaining_ ," she added, holding him a little tighter _._ "Me becoming a vampire means I get an eternity with _you,_ where we'll be free to be with each other exactly as we want to and where we don't have to be afraid anymore. I want that, Jazz. I want us to be able to be together, _really_ together, without anything hanging over us."

Jasper smiled gently. "I cannot deny that I want that as well," he admitted. He paused and reached up to brush a curl away from her face. "But…are you _absolutely_ sure, Danielle?" he asked again.

Danielle nodded without hesitation. "I'm one hundred percent positive."

Jasper looked at her for a long second, then slowly nodded. "Alright."

Danielle tilted her head unsurely. "You're _okay_ with that, right?"

Jasper nodded immediately. "Yes. I told you I would accept whatever decision you came to, and I intend to hold true to that," he said. "I will still worry, because I know how hard the transition is and I hate to think of you in any pain," he admitted. Then he gave her a small smile. "But if this is what you want, then I will not argue against it."

Danielle hadn't really been worried he _would_ , but she still smiled in relief. "Good."

"When do you want to be turned?" he questioned.

"Not right away," she said, and if she wasn't mistaken, Jasper looked a little relieved to hear that. "If I'm not gonna be myself for as long as you say, then I wanna take some time to enjoy being married to you first," she said. "I was thinking we could wait a year, maybe even two."

Jasper nodded in agreement. "I like that idea."

Danielle gave him a smile, but then sighed and frowned with sight hesitation. She wasn't sure how Jasper might respond to the question she was about to ask next – she hoped he wouldn't freak out. "Will…will _you_ do it?" she asked quietly.

Jasper stiffened immediately, his jaw tightening as he stared at her with slightly wider eyes. He said nothing for a few tense moments, then slowly gulped. "Darlin', I love you. You know I would do _anything_ for you." He paused again, his expression turning to one of wariness. "But…turning you is…a _terrifying_ thought," he said slowly. "I do not think I would trust myself to do it. It would be better if Carlisle did."

Danielle frowned. As much as she liked, and _trusted_ , her future father-in-law, the thought of _Carlisle_ being the one to turn her just didn't quite sit right. It was simply too _strange_ to think of him biting her. The whole experience would seem much too intimate to share with anyone _other_ than Jasper.

"I think that would be a little _weird,_ don't you?" she countered.

"The process is dangerous enough as is _without_ the added risk of me being unable to stop myself if I taste your blood," Jasper responded swiftly. "Carlisle is practically _immune_ to human blood, and he changed everyone but Alice and myself. He knows what he is doing. Him doing it is the safest option, Danielle."

She couldn't help but frown. Even now, after all they had been through, he was still doubting his self-control? "Jazz, you're stronger than you give yourself credit for," she told him matter-of-factly. "I was _covered_ in blood when you rescued me in Phoenix, and you barely even noticed," she then reminded.

Jasper's face momentarily darkened at the mention of Phoenix, before he shook his head in denial. "That was different," he argued. "Smelling your blood and _tasting_ your blood are _not_ the same things."

Danielle pressed closer, so that her eyes were only inches from his. He went quiet, his gaze holding hers as she gave him a determined look. "You're _strong_ , Jasper," she repeated. "I trust you with my _life_ , you _know_ that. You're also about to be my _husband_ , and if there's anyone I want to be the one to turn me, it's _you_."

Jasper took a moment to think about it, then frowned again. "I just…I don't know, Danielle," he said with skepticism.

Danielle sighed gently, then moved one hand from his neck to brush his hair back. "You don't have to decide right this moment. We've still got a _lot_ of time to figure everything out," she told him. "Just…at least tell me you'll _think_ about it. Please?"

Jasper considered her plea for a second, then let out a long sigh, the tension leaving his shoulders with it. "I will think about it," he said, and even though he didn't sound overly happy about it, she knew that he meant it.

"Thank you," she said with a grateful smile.

Jasper just gave her a small smile, before his brows raised questioningly. "When do you want to tell the family?"

Danielle shrugged. "I think it'd be best to make it official after we get back from the honeymoon. The wedding is the most important thing right now," she said, to which Jasper nodded in agreement. "How do you think they'll react?" she asked, unable to help the uncertainty that invaded her tone.

"The family _loves_ you, Danielle," Jasper told her. "They'll be _thrilled_."

Hearing him say it made her smile and relaxed. "I hope you're right."

"I _know_ I am right," Jasper countered with confidence.

Danielle nodded, then sucked in a breath as she took a moment to consider how drastically everything change once she was a vampire. "It's gonna be so weird, becoming a vampire," she mused aloud. "There's gonna be a _lot_ to learn."

Jasper nodded. "There will be. But I will be there with you every step of the way, as will the rest of the family," he said reassuringly. "You will not be alone, darlin'. You _never_ will be."

Danielle smiled, then leaned in to kiss him again.

Jasper was right. It would be a big change – a _scary_ change. But it was a change that they would face _together_. And as long as Jasper was by her side, she knew she would be able to face _anything._

* * *

The next morning, Danielle sat on the floor of Alice's room organizing name cards for the wedding while Alice effortlessly moved a heavy, floor length mirror into the middle of the room for Jasper's final tux fitting. Jasper was in their bedroom getting changed into his tuxedo for the wedding so that she could give it one last look over and officially give him the stamp of approval.

"Have you talked to Tom this morning?" Alice asked.

Danielle glanced up from the name cards. "I have, yes. Why do you ask?"

Alice shrugged. "I was just wondering how much longer it will be until they arrive," she said casually. "It's past ten. I thought they would have been here by now."

Danielle suppressed a knowing smile at those words.

She had already thought _Tom_ had been bad at hiding how eager he was to meet Alice, but she was quickly discovering that Alice herself wasn't so great at it either _._ The vampire had all but pounced on Danielle the night before when she and Jasper had returned, asking her all about Tom and how their reunion had gone, and had managed to talk about Tom several times that morning already. Danielle had suspected that her future sister-in-law might have formed a little crush on Tom for a few weeks now, and she couldn't help but feel like Alice's behavior was only confirming those suspicions.

"Don't worry," Danielle said. "I'm sure they'll be here soon." Alice just sighed in response and looked impatiently to the window. "Do you want to call Tom and see where they are?" Danielle offered.

Alice shook her head quickly. "No, no. I don't want to bother him."

Danielle gave her a look. "I don't think you being a bother to Tom is even _possible_ ," she said pointedly. "I'm pretty sure he thinks you're the greatest thing since sliced bread."

Alice smiled a bit at that, and for a second, Danielle thought she looked rather pleased. "I'm sure you're wrong," she said modestly.

"I'm sure I'm not," Danielle countered with a smirk. "You don't know Tom like I do, sis. There was a _reason_ he called you so much, and it _wasn't_ just to talk about the wedding."

She was certain that if Alice could have blushed, she would have. The vampire seemed surprised, her mouth even dropping open slightly. She started like she was going to ask Danielle to elaborate, but before she could, Jasper finally entered the room. Alice quickly closed her mouth and shook off her surprise, doing her best to act normal now that Jasper was there. Danielle just smiled in amusement at the vampire's reaction, then shifted her gaze to Jasper when he came to a halt in front of the mirror.

When she saw him in his wedding suit, she immediately forgot what she and Alice had been talking about. It was her turn to sit there with her mouth agape, only it was for an _entirely_ different reason.

Jasper looked _incredible_. The suit fit him like a glove, and as he stood there staring into the mirror, his gaze focused as he buttoned his suit jacket and his golden hair just the tiniest bit unruly from changing clothes, she honestly forgot how to breathe for a second. Jasper's eyes caught hers in the mirror, a slow smirk spreading across his face when he noticed the way she was looking him. Butterflies immediately filled her belly – she found herself having to fight down the temptation to go dig her fingers into that wonderful hair and kiss him until her lips fell off.

"Judging by the look on your face, I think I already know the answer, but…what do you think of the suit?" Alice asked to bring her back to the present.

Danielle cleared her throat and nodded. "He looks amazing in it," she said approvingly. "He's probably gonna look better than _me_ at the wedding."

Jasper and Alice both scoffed. "Uh, _no_ ," Alice countered. "No offence, Jasper, but Dani is going to blow you out of the _water_ when you see her."

"I have no doubt that she will," Jasper replied with a nod.

Danielle just smiled and shrugged. "We'll see I guess."

Alice rolled her eyes at that, then turned to Jasper and began to look him over. Danielle, having all but forgotten about the name cards by now, propped her chin up on her hand as she watched Alice inspect the suit with scrutinizing eyes. Jasper stood there obediently, answering any question Alice had about the fit of the suit and moving this way and that whenever she told him to. His eyes kept meeting Danielle's in the mirror, though, a smile tugging at his lips anytime their gazes held.

"Alright," Alice finally said, taking a step back. "I think it will do."

Danielle scoffed as she stood up. "It will _more_ than just _do_ ," she corrected. She went to stand in front of Jasper, running a hand along the lapel of his jacket. "You really do look wonderful, Jazz," she complimented.

Jasper smiled. "Thank you, darlin'," he said, his hands finding their way onto her waist as he pulled her a bit closer.

Danielle returned his smile, then slid her arms around him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. Her lips had only barely touched his, however, when Alice stepped forward and forcibly separated them, making both Danielle and Jasper look at her with incredulity. "That's nice if you want to be all lovey-dovey, but do _not_ wrinkle that suit," Alice ordered, pointing a stern finger at Jasper. "In fact, go and take it off right now."

Jasper rolled his eyes in exasperation, but did as he was told. He gave Danielle a look as he released her, then left the room to go and change. Just as Jasper left, a new figure appeared in the doorway. To Danielle's surprise it was Edward, though she had no idea when he had come back to the Cullen house – he had stayed at Bella's house the night before, just as he did every single night. He was gone so often, she honestly didn't see him very much on a day to day basis. He and Bella had been joined at the hip all summer long, so much so that she sometimes wondered if Bella could even go to the _bathroom_ without needing to have him there with her.

"Hey, Ed," Danielle greeted. "When did you get here?"

"Good morning, Dani. And I got here about ten minutes ago," he answered. He watched as Jasper disappeared into his bedroom, then looked back to them. "Suit fitting?"

Alice nodded. "And you're next for that, by the way," she added.

Edward lifted a brow at his sister. "We did that already, Alice," he reminded her.

"We need to do it _again_ ," Alice insisted. "Everything has to be _perfect_ , including your suit."

Edward gave Danielle a brief, incredulous look, which made her laugh under her breath. "I doubt anyone will be paying that close of attention to me," he said.

"Bella will be," Danielle pointed out. "But you could literally wear a _bee_ _keeper's_ outfit and she would _still_ drool over you, so I don't think you have to worry about impressing her."

Edward smiled a bit at that, but Alice shook her head. "Nope. Doesn't matter. You're a groomsman, which means you have to look _good_. We're doing one more fitting, and that is that."

Edward gave his sister a look, but eventually gave a conceding nod. "Alright," he agreed, seemingly knowing that arguing with Alice would be pointless.

Jasper returned with his suit on the hanger, sharing a nod with Edward as he passed through the doorway. "For safekeeping," he said, passing the suit over to Alice.

Alice smiled brightly. "Thank you!" she said, before going to put the suit in her closet.

Danielle smiled up at Jasper as he came to stand next to her, one of his arms habitually finding its way around her waist. She leaned into him, then looked over at Edward with raised brows. "Did you happen to see if my mom and Tom were still home before you left Bella's?"

"They were," he confirmed. "But they had just come to collect Bella and were preparing to come here just as I left. They should be here soon," he added.

"Oh, good!" Alice said as she rejoined them, her eyes alight with excitement. "Once they get here, we can finally start getting some work done."

Danielle knew _good and well_ that Alice's excitement over Tom's impending arrival was _not_ because she wanted to get work done. Jasper knew it, too, and judging by the way Edward's eyebrow lifted higher than the other one, she would guess _he_ knew it, as well. But the three of them also knew better than to say anything to that effect aloud, however.

"So _this_ is where the party is?" The new voice belonged to Emmett, who had just joined Edward at the door. "What's the reason for the pow-wow?" he asked, looking around at all of them.

"Jasper just had a suit fitting, but now we're talking about Tom," Edward answered.

Emmett nodded. "Tom seems to be the local celebrity around here these days," he commented, frowning a bit. "Been hearing that name quite a bit," he added, shooting a look at Alice that the vampire pointedly ignored.

"Uh oh. Is someone jealous that Tom is stealing the spotlight?" Danielle had to ask jokingly, which had Jasper chuckling and Edward smirking in amusement. "Don't worry, Big Foot. We still love you."

Emmett narrowed his eyes a little, a smirk of pure mischief appearing on his lips. "You know, you're lucky I like you. I don't normally take kindly to people sassing me as much as you do," he said.

Danielle gave him a confused look. "Am I supposed to be scared or something?" she asked in an unintimidated tone.

Emmett pointed a finger at her. "All I'm saying is that you better be careful, red. If you ever become a vampire, I might just have to teach you a lesson or two."

It was said as a joke, of course, but him mentioning her turning into a vampire had Danielle and Jasper sharing a quick look with one another. Her thoughts immediately turned back to their conversation the night before, and she had a feeling that Jasper was thinking about the same thing. She gave him a small smile, a combination of nervousness, excitement, and, admittedly, a small amount of _fear_ rolling through her belly at the thought of her future plans to be turned. Jasper felt the swell of emotions and held her a bit tighter, giving her a smile that instantly set her at ease again.

When she looked away from Jasper, it was Edward's eyes she met next. Though he had looked comfortable and at ease while they had been talking, he suddenly looked tense. There was an unreadable expression on his face as his gaze flickered back and forth between her and Jasper. And it was then that it hit her – Edward refrained from reading _her_ thoughts, but she knew that he didn't practice the same restraint when it came to Jasper's. If Jasper _was_ remembering what they had talked about the previous night, then Edward would have heard it. And that could mean only one thing.

He now knew she had officially decided to be turned into a vampire.

Edward looked at her again, his expression still difficult to decipher. He was the only Cullen who had yet to give his opinion on the matter of her being turned, but considering how against it he was for Bella, Danielle had more or less assumed he wouldn't be crazy about the idea of _her_ being turned, either. Judging by his reaction now, she was starting to think she had been right.

" _They're here_!" Alice suddenly said, even though the doorbell had not yet rung.

Her exclamation was enough to snap Edward out of whatever had just taken over him. He blinked and moved out of the way as Alice hurried from the bedroom. He then looked back to her and Jasper, his gaze flickering between them a moment longer, before he and Emmett both trailed after Alice to greet their guests. Danielle and Jasper, however, lingered in Alice's bedroom to share a look with one another.

"I think he knows," Danielle whispered. Jasper nodded in agreement. "What did you feel from him?"

"I felt several things," he admitted.

"Any of them _good_?" Danielle asked hopefully. Jasper hesitated to answer, which told her everything she needed to know. "Wonderful," she said with a heavy sigh. Because she couldn't _help_ feeling disappointed. She and Edward might not be very close with one another, but they were friends and they were about to be _family_. There was already friction between her and Rosalie – she didn't want there to be friction between her and Edward, too.

Jasper gave her an encouraging squeeze. "We can talk to him about it when we tell the rest of the family. For now, try not to worry about it."

Danielle just nodded. Then, as the doorbell rang, Jasper kissed her on the forehead and they went downstairs to reconvene with the rest of the family.

* * *

Danielle did her best to follow Jasper's advice and not think about Edward's apparent disapproval of her decision to become a vampire. She told herself that it was a problem for another day, and with the wedding rapidly approaching, there were more important things to concern herself with. She would worry about Edward later, _after_ the wedding was over.

It was a lot easier to not worry about Edward after Tom, her mother, and Bella arrived. It was simply impossible _not_ to feel happy when she finally saw Alice and Tom meeting face to face for the first time. Alice positively beamed at Tom when she opened the door to greet him, while Tom was rendered speechless at the sight of the vampire. He stood still as a statue and stared at Alice like he'd never seen a woman before in his entire life, his Adam's apple bobbing when he gulped. It had taken everything in Danielle not to laugh at his reaction to how beautiful Alice was – she almost felt guilty for not warning him about how insanely attractive the entire Cullen family was.

With the help of a cleared throat and a discreet nudge from Lynne, Tom finally recovered from his stupor and started acting normal again, smiling politely and shaking hands with Alice. He then came in to meet the rest of the family, looking momentarily speechless again when he saw the rest of the family. Thankfully the Cullen's were used to this sort of reaction and took it in stride.

Introductions were made, hugs were shared with Lynne and Bella, and for a good few minutes they all stood around chit chatting and catching up. Eventually, though, the time had come to get to work, and before long Alice was bossing everyone around and assigning tasks. As everyone broke apart to start getting things done, Tom leaned in close to Danielle and raised his brows at her.

"Dude. Why didn't you tell me that everyone in Jasper's family is sculpted like a freaking _Greek god_?" he hissed.

Danielle bit her lip to keep from laughing. She could see Esme and Carlisle laughing quietly to themselves on the other side of the room. "I told you they were good looking," she said back with a shrug.

Tom gave her a flat look. "Yeah, you undersold that one a little there, buddy," he said.

Danielle laughed, then glanced at Alice as the vampire stood near the kitchen talking to Lynne and Bella. Tom glanced that way, too, that same, dumfounded expression flitting across his face. "She's really pretty, huh?" she asked, nudging Tom in the ribs.

Tom let out a breath and shook his head. "I literally didn't know anyone could be _that_ beautiful," he admitted quietly.

Danielle smiled and looked toward Alice again, whom she knew was perfectly capable of hearing what Tom had just said. Alice didn't look their way, but Danielle could still tell that his words made her smile just a little bit wider.

It was a busy day of wedding preparations after that, but it was a _fun_ day. The Cullen's had, unsurprisingly, warmed up to Tom very quickly. With how nice he was and how easy he was to get along with, she had fully expected that everyone would get along just fine, and that proved to be just the case as the day went by. Conversations flowed easily and there was a lot of laughing, especially when Emmett began to push Tom to reveal any embarrassing stories he might have about Danielle. Tom, who loved to embarrass her any chance he got, didn't take much convincing.

But the Cullen he spent the most time around was, of course, Alice. They seemed to be getting along _very_ well, if how often she saw them talking and laughing together was any indicator. By the time evening rolled around, Danielle had lost track of how many times she had looked over and seen Tom and Alice off by themselves – even when the Cullen's decided to pretend to eat food for the night and hosted a dinner for everyone, Alice and Tom ended up sitting next to one another. Several times during dinner they got caught up in their own conversation, so intent on each other that they seemed to completely forget everyone else.

Danielle just watched the whole thing with a growing feeling of happiness. She adored Tom, she adored Alice, and it was starting to look like the two just might adore _each other_. She wasn't going to try to force them to get together, because Tom and Alice were grown and both perfectly capable of making their own decisions. But she _definitely_ was going to root for them from the sidelines.

Wednesday passed by much like Tuesday had, with lots of errands being run to prepare for the weekend festivities. By the time Thursday rolled around and it was time for her bachelorette outing, Danielle was actually a little _glad_ to get away for a bit. She, Alice, Bella, Jessica, Angela, and – because he was part of the bridal party and _such_ a good sport – _Tom_ went to a fancy spa that Alice had discovered, where they were going to spend the entire day getting pampered. They were all scheduled for mud baths, facials, massages, manicures, _and_ pedicures, and even though Danielle didn't normally indulge in services like that, she was _more_ than ready to relax and get in some quality pampering.

"This place is _literally_ amazing," Jessica gushed as she, Danielle, and Alice stood around wearing white fluffy bathrobes and nibbling on some fruit that the receptionist had provided for them. They had all just gotten their first services of the day done and were waiting for their second one to start.

"It really is," Danielle agreed. "Thank you for putting this together," she said to Alice, giving her a side hug.

"Yeah, thanks, Alice!" Jessica agreed.

Alice smiled. "Anything for my favorite sister," she said, squeezing Danielle in a hug.

"Don't make me blush! It'll ruin my perfect new complexion!" Danielle said jokingly, motioning to her freshly cleansed and thoroughly glowing skin.

The three of them laughed, then reached for another piece of fruit. As she ate a grape, Danielle glanced around to see if there was any sign of Tom anywhere. He had gotten taken back for a massage first, and she hadn't seen him since.

"I hope Tom is having fun," she commented. "This is a little out of his comfort zone, I think."

"I'm sure he is. He seems like a good sport," Alice said with a nod.

" _Speaking_ of Tom," Jessica interjected, making them both look at her. Jessica raised her brows at Danielle with interest. "He seems really nice and he's _super_ cute. Is he single?"

Danielle looked at Alice, who suddenly had a bit of a weird expression on her face. "Er, yeah, he is."

Jessica, oblivious to the change in Alice's mood, nodded in understanding. "If things don't work out with Mike, I just might have to get his number from you," she said with a laugh.

Danielle forced out a laugh and nodded along. "Guess we'll have to see," she said evasively.

Jessica was called back to go into her massage after that, and soon enough Danielle and Alice were taken back into the nail room to get their manicures and pedicures. As they settled into their pedicure chairs, Danielle glanced over at Alice, who was frowning a little to herself. Danielle glanced around, saw that none of the other girls from their party were around, and leaned a little closer.

"You okay?"

Alice blinked, then looked at her. "Yes, I'm fine," she said, smiling. She looked down at the nail technician as she came to sit in front of her. "Hi! Just a basic pedicure, please. And I have very tough nails, so I wouldn't attempt to clip them. Just file please," she instructed with a kind smile.

Danielle took a second to greet her own nail technician and tell her what she wanted done, then directed her attention back to Alice. She knew Alice wasn't telling the truth – it was pretty obvious that she didn't like the thought of Jessica potentially having interest in Tom.

"I don't think Jess was serious about wanting Tom's number," Danielle said matter-of-factly. "She's with Mike. She's _happy_ with Mike."

Alice looked over at her quickly. "So?" she asked evasively.

" _So_ you don't have to worry about her trying to move in on Tom," Danielle told her.

Alice tried to put an innocent expression, which turned out to be a very unconvincing one. "I'm not _worried_ ," she denied. "Why would I be _worried_ about that?"

Danielle decided to just be blunt. "I'm not _blind_ , Alice. I've seen the way you two have been these past few days. You're into him, and he's _definitely_ into you." Alice opened her mouth to respond, then shut it again. She didn't seem to know what to say. "There's nothing _wrong_ with that, you know," Danielle added with a smile. "Tom's a great guy. I would be more surprised if you _didn't_ like him."

Alice sighed. "He _is_ a great guy. And, yes…maybe I do like him," she admitted, though it sounded like she was reluctant to do so. "I just don't know if it's a good idea, Dani," she said, shaking her head.

Danielle frowned. "Why not? We all know it can work." She leaned a little bit closer and lowered her voice. "If Jasper and Edward can do it, so can you. What's one _more_ human in the family?" she asked with a smirk.

"I know, and it's not really _that_ that I'm overly concerned about," Alice said. "It's just...I can't see him in my future. _Literally_ ," she admitted quietly. "I saw you and Bella with us straightaway, but I don't see _Tom_. Maybe that means that he's not supposed to be with me. Maybe that means that this isn't supposed to happen."

Danielle frowned as she thought that one over. "But things can change," she reminded Alice. "Nothing is really set in stone. Maybe if you can't see him _now_ , it's because now just isn't the right _time_."

Alice considered what she had said, then shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe."

They both went quiet for a moment, each watching their nail technician work. Danielle noticed that the woman working on Alice was looking a little perplexed as she continued to file Alice's tough nails and still failed to make any sort of actual difference. She cast a glance up at Alice, equal parts confusion and exasperation on her face, then returned to what she was doing.

"I've never been with anyone," Alice said to break the silence, making Danielle look at her again. "I wasn't… _right_ …before," she said with a meaningful look. Danielle knew that she was referring to her life pre-vampire, a life where she had – according to James the nomad – spent many years in an insane asylum. "Afterward, I was so busy trying to find my way that it wasn't a priority. But even once I joined with Esme and Carlisle, there never was anyone – like you _or_ like me – that seemed worth the effort," she explained.

"But…?" Danielle prompted, feeling like there was more to what Alice was saying.

Alice looked over at her. "But Tom is…different," she said, smiling a bit. That smiled quickly disappeared, though, and a long sigh escaped her. "I don't know anything about this, though. It's easy to give Jasper and Edward advice, but taking that advice _myself_ is a little harder. I wouldn't know what to do or how to make it work, and then there's the fact that he's _so_ far away." Alice shook her head. "No matter which way I look at it, it all just seems very complicated," she concluded.

Danielle nodded in understanding. "I get where you're coming from," she said. "I won't try to tell you what to do, because ultimately that decision is for _you_ to make. But I think if you _really_ like someone, you'll find a way to overcome those complications. It might not be _easy_ , but it's certainly not _impossible_. Look at me and Jazz, or look at Edward and Bella. We're the proof."

Alice nodded her head. "Yeah, I know."

Danielle smiled and reached over to squeeze her hand. "The good news? It's not like you're having to decide whether or not you're gonna _marry_ the guy," she reminded her. "I say just hang out with him, enjoy getting to spend some actual face-to-face time together. Once the wedding is over, just see where things go. If you decide to give it a shot, that's great. If not, then you've still got yourself a really kick-ass friend in him."

Alice finally smiled at that. "You're right. I _will_ still have a great friend." Alice squeezed Danielle's hand in return. "Thanks, Dani. I appreciate the pep talk."

"Anything for my favorite sister," Danielle said, throwing Alice's words right back at her.

The door to the nail salon suddenly opened, and in strolled the very man they had just been talking about. Tom practically sauntered into the room, wearing a white fluffy bathrobe and a towel that was wrapped around his head like a turban. He also had a thick, green facemask on and smelled strongly of lavender.

"Well?" he asked, striking a pose like a model as he stood behind their nail techs. "Am I beautiful yet?"

Danielle and Alice shared a look, then burst into laughter. "You look positively _fabulous_ , darling," Danielle told him when she managed to stop laughing, making her voice sound extra snooty for added effect. This just made Alice laugh some more.

Tom grinned. "I gotta say, I totally get why people do this kind of stuff now," he said with a nod. "I feel like a king getting pampered like this."

"Glad you're having fun," Danielle said with relief.

Tom glanced between the two of them for a moment, then patted his stomach when it growled. "There wouldn't happen to be snacks around here somewhere, would there?" he asked, glancing around.

"There's food out in the waiting room," Alice told him.

"Great. I'm gonna get something to eat. Need anything, Dani?" he offered.

"I'm fine, thank you," she declined.

"What about you, Al?" Tom asked, looking to Alice next. And the fact that he had called her _Al_ was so cute, it almost made Danielle squeal.

Alice smiled at him sweetly. "I'm alright. Thank you, Tom."

Tom nodded, smiled at Alice for one more second, then turned and left, making them laugh again as he put a little extra sashay in his stride. Once he was gone, Danielle looked over at Alice again, who was still smiling. Alice met her gaze, her smile growing.

"Remember how I said I hadn't met anyone worth it?" she asked. After Danielle nodded, Alice gave her a look. "I'm starting to think _he_ might be."

* * *

The next night, Danielle leaned a little closer to the bathroom mirror as she put on the finishing touches of her makeup.

It was nearly time to head to the venue for the rehearsal, and then they would be going to her mother's house for the rehearsal dinner, where she also planned to stay overnight while Jasper went out hunting with Edward and Emmett. She finished with her mascara and stood back to give herself one more look-over. Alice had helped her tame her hair, so that it sat around her shoulders in soft waves rather than their usual messy curls. Her makeup was a little more done up than what she usually wore, but not so much that she looked frightening. Her dress was new, too. It was a deep forest green, which complimented her hair and skin tone nicely, had a v-neckline that showed only the barest hint of cleavage, and it hugged her torso like a second skin before flaring out at the waist in a knee-length, a-line skirt.

Satisfied with what she saw, she stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, where she found Jasper standing by the desk with his back to her. He seemed to be reading something.

"What'cha reading?" she asked as she went over to join him.

"A letter from Peter and Charlotte," he said. "It just arrived today."

Peter and Charlotte were Jasper's friends from his time before the Cullen's. He had met them when he had still be with Maria, still training newborns for her army in the south. He had gotten very close with Peter, but Peter had eventually fled with Charlotte, another newborn whom Maria had wanted to kill because she simply had not been useful enough. Once Jasper escaped Maria, Peter and Charlotte had helped him begin to find his own way. They were nomads, but he still managed to keep in touch with them for all these years – it seemed like they kept up a fairly regularly correspondence.

"What's it say?"

"That they will not be attending the wedding, but that isn't much of a surprise," he said, his eyes still scanning the letter.

Danielle made a sound of understanding. Inviting Peter and Charlotte had been a big talking point when they had first started planning the wedding. Though they were his friends and she understood why he wanted them to be there for the ceremony, there was one large problem – Peter and Charlotte were _not_ vegetarian. Jasper had insisted that they were in control of themselves and he believed, with the right precautions, that they could make things work. Danielle had agreed to at least send them an invitation, though she still had been a little unsure if having human-feeding vampires in a room _full_ of humans was good idea.

After they had sent the invitation, Alice had informed them that she did not see them attending the wedding. Now, as Danielle read the letter over Jasper's shoulder, she could see that Alice had been right. They apologized profusely for not being able to attend, but insisted that they felt it would be better – and safer – for all involved if they did not come. They sent their congratulations, however, and expressed interest in trying to meet Danielle some other time.

"Well, maybe when we come back from the honeymoon we can go and see them. Or we can wait until I'm turned, if that would be easier," Danielle offered.

"It would probably be better to wait," he said, setting the letter down on the desk. "I would not want to – "

Jasper stopped mid-sentence as he finally turned to look at her. His eyes immediately dropped to rake over her form, his jaw dropping a little as he took in what she was wearing. "When did you get _that_ dress?" he asked, his eyes sweeping over her again. He seemed to have forgotten all about Peter and Charlotte already.

"A few days ago." Danielle twirled, making the skirt poof out a little. "Do you like it?" she asked, smiling at him hopefully.

Jasper stepped in close, his hands automatically moving to rest on her waist. He looked her up and down again, his gaze lingering a little longer in certain areas. "You look _ravishing_ ," he said, his eyes a bit darker than normal as they met hers.

Those butterflies were back, flapping wildly around in her stomach. "Thank you." Danielle then beamed up at him, her arms sliding comfortably around his neck. "You do realize that by this time tomorrow, we'll be saying _I do_ , right?" she asked. "Where did the time go?"

Jasper smiled and pulled her closer. "How does the saying go? Time flies when you're having fun?"

"It sure does," Danielle agreed.

Jasper lifted one hand to brush his fingertips along her cheek. "I have said it before, but I will say it again. I will be so proud, and so _honored_ , to be able to call you my wife," he told her, his eyes full of adoration.

"And I will be just as proud, and just as honored, to call you my husband," she said in return.

Jasper smiled, then slid a hand around the back of her neck and leaned in to kiss her. It was sweet and gentle, and all she could feel radiating off of him was _love_. He pulled away for a moment to look at her, his nose brushing her own, then kissed her again. Danielle sighed and pressed closer to him, her fingers making their way into his hair on their own accord. When he felt her fingers sliding through his hair, Jasper let out a low moan and kissed her a little harder, pulled her a little closer. She answered his moan with one of her own, heat sweeping through her as their tongues met again.

The mood changed rapidly. Where she had felt love and adoration from him before, now she felt something very different, something that had warmth settling in her belly and her body moving restlessly against his in search of any sort of contact she could find.

Her back suddenly bumped into the wall, making her gasp with surprise. Jasper pulled his lips from hers for a moment to look at her with dark eyes, then dipped his head to kiss his way down her neck. Danielle tilted her head to give him better access, one hand raking through his hair while the other slid around to his chest to feel the hard muscles of his torso. Without warning, Jasper's hands slid from her hips to her rear, giving it a squeeze as he pulled her tightly against him. Danielle gasped again, then couldn't hold back another moan of approval as his lips closed around her earlobe.

This was different. This was _not_ how Jasper normally was. They had gotten carried away before, but even then he had always been a complete and total gentleman – despite knowing exactly how much he desired her, he had always kept himself in check and had never even attempted to cop a feel, not even _once_. But _now_ he was, and as his hands squeezed her rear again, she found that she liked this more forward side of him _quite_ a lot.

She pulled on his hair until he understood her silent request and kissed her again, his hands finally leaving her rear to return to her waist. She then felt one of his hand begin to slide upward, skimming boldly along her ribs with a very clear destination in mind. But then there was a knock on the door, which had his hand freezing before he could touch her. They separated, Danielle breathing heavily as Jasper stared down at her through dark, hooded eyes, but neither actually made any attempts to move.

"It's time to go!" Alice called through the door.

"Be…be right out," Danielle called back, sounding more breathless than she had intended.

She assumed Alice left after that. Jasper still didn't move though, and she was _very_ aware of his hand on her ribs. "One more day," he murmured, his lips brushing over hers again. "One more day and you will be _mine_."

Danielle shivered at the promise in his voice, as well as the desire that he sent coursing through her veins. "Not if I make you mine first," she said with a wicked smile.

Jasper growled low in his throat and leaned in to give her another hungry kiss.

It would have been easy to get carried away again, but another knock sounded on the door. "Guys. _Now_!" Alice said with much more authority this time.

" _Alright_ ," Jasper said back sharply, looking annoyed by the interruption.

Danielle just giggled at his impatience, which had him smirking at her and kissing her one last time, before they finally disentangled from one another.

After they got themselves back in order and did their best to make it seem like they _hadn't_ just been making out like a couple of horny teenagers, they joined up with the rest of the Cullen's to leave for the rehearsal. Since they had to pretend like they were human, running was – to Danielle's relief – out of the question. The travel method tonight was good, old fashioned driving – Carlisle, Esme, Edward, and Rosalie went in Edward's Volvo, while Danielle, Jasper, and Alice went with Emmett in his big, loud jeep.

They made it to the venue quickly, where they found Lynne, Bella, and Tom already waiting for them. Hugs and pleasantries were exchanged, then they went inside to meet with the pastor who would be performing the ceremony.

The venue was nothing overly fancy at face value, just a small community center that had a decently sized ballroom that could be rented out for a very reasonable price. But now that all of the decorations that they had put together were there and set up, the placed looked _completely_ different. There were twinkling lights everywhere, giving the entire room a soft, warm glow. Ribbons and tulle decorated the backs of the white farm chairs that had already been set up for the guests that would be filling them tomorrow. A beautiful archway with more tulle and more twinkling lights sat at the end of the aisle for when she and Jasper went up to say their vows. The room looked magical already, and this was _before_ the many multitudes of flowers that Alice had ordered arrived and were set up – Danielle couldn't wait to see what everything would look like once the flowers were there.

The rehearsal went by quickly. Alice took charge and gathered everyone around to go over, in _great_ detail, the exact schedule for the wedding. When the ceremony started, Jasper would stand at the archway with Emmett and Edward already by his side. Carlisle and Esme, being Jasper's parents, would go down the aisle first, then the bridal procession would start. Bella would walk first – a notion that seemed to terrify her a little – then Tom, and then, finally, Danielle would walk down escorted by her mother. The ceremony itself was slated to only last about fifteen minutes – the pastor would go through the usual proceedings, Danielle and Jasper would say their vows, then they would be pronounced husband and wife and kiss. Then they would go back down the aisle, followed immediately after by Tom and Emmett, and then, lastly, by Edward and Bella.

They went through a mock ceremony a few times, and even though it was quick and pretty easy to do, the whole process of mimicking her upcoming wedding made butterflies flap wildly in her stomach the entire time. She was nervous and excited all at the same time, and she couldn't seem to stand still as they went through the rehearsal. Jasper noticed how fidgety she was and finally sent a wave of calm over her, which finally made the butterflies in her stomach still.

When the rehearsal was over, everyone went back to Lynne's house for the rehearsal dinner. For the most part, only the people that had been at the rehearsal were present for the dinner. Danielle and Jasper had agreed to let their parents invite a few family friends to the party, however, instead of keeping it just to family and the bridal party, as was the usual tradition. Lynne had invited Patricia from the bookshop and, of course, had wanted Charlie to be there. As for Carlisle and Esme, they had only invited one specific group of friends – the Denali coven.

The Denali's were the other vegetarian coven that lived in Alaska. They were very close to the Cullen's, so close, in fact, that the Cullen's insisted they were more like _family_ rather than just friends. They were going to be in attendance for the wedding, but since they had traveled so far and it had been so long since the Cullen's had seen them, Carlisle had wanted them to join the pre-wedding festivities as well. Danielle didn't mind the extra guests, and when it came to the Denali's, she was actually _very_ excited to finally be able to meet them. The Cullen's always spoke very highly of the other vampire coven, and since as she had a feeling she would likely be around them a lot more in the future, it seemed like a good idea to get to know them.

The party was soon underway, and the festivities were taking place in the backyard. Lynne – with the help of Alice, of course – had gone all out. Music played through a sound-system that Lynne had hooked up, lanterns and twinkling lights were hung up all over the place to give everything a cozy glow, a table off to the side was filled to the brim with snacks and food and all the drinks one could think of. She had even set out a large, cute picture of them on an easel, hung up a huge banner that read, " _Jasper & Danielle" _with their wedding date written beneath their names, and gotten a big cake to have for desert.

Danielle took a moment to glance around, smiling to herself as she watched her friends and family interact. Everyone was scattered around the backyard. Her mom was hanging out with Charlie, Patricia, Esme, and Carlisle by the food, and they were all holding an alcoholic beverage of some kind. Edward and Bella were chatting with Tom and Alice at the long table that her mother had set up for dinner. Emmett was closest to her and Jasper, taking advantage of the fact that there a music and seizing the moment to start dancing like the big goofball he was – Rosalie stood a few feet away from Emmett with her arms crossed and her eyebrow quirked, rejecting her husband's attempts to get her to join in on his silly dancing.

There was something special and heartwarming about having everyone she cared for most together at the same time. Danielle leaned into Jasper, a smile seemingly permanently fixed to her face. "This is so nice," she said. "I love having everyone together like this."

Jasper wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "We get to do it all over again tomorrow at the wedding," he reminded her. "Something tells me _that_ will be even better."

Danielle looked up at him and grinned. "I think you just might be right."

Jasper gave her a lopsided smile, then leaned down to give her a sweet kiss.

She was lured away from Jasper after that when Emmett, having officially given up on trying to get Rosalie to dance with him, summoned Danielle instead. She kissed Jasper on the cheek and went over to the big vampire, who wasted no time and began twirling her around with an enthusiasm that had Danielle laughing the entire time.

They had only been dancing for a short while, however, when four more guests arrived. Danielle knew straight away that they were the Denali's – there were three females, two blondes and a brunette, and one male, who had dark hair and olive skin. They were all, of course, absurdly good-looking. They had easy, friendly smiles on their faces as Jasper and Carlisle both hurried to greet them.

"I thought there were _five_ in the Denali coven?" she asked Emmett with confusion, her eyes searching for a fifth vampire that had not yet appeared.

"There are," Emmett confirmed. "Irina isn't with them for some reason."

Danielle frowned as she wondered why, but then pushed the thought away when she noticed Jasper waving her over. She excused herself from Emmett and quickly hurried to join him, trying hard not to blush when all four of the present Denali's immediately looked at her with interest. Danielle nervously smoothed her hands of her dress, hoping she still looked at least halfway presentable.

Jasper slid an arm around her waist as soon as she was by his side. "Danielle, these are the friends we have been telling you about. This is Kate and Tanya," he said, motioning to the two blonde females, "and this is Carmen and Eleazar," he added, now motioning to the dark haired vampires. "My friends, it is my great pleasure to introduce you to my fiancé, Danielle."

Danielle smiled nervously and extended her hand to the nearest vampire, which just so happened to be Carmen. "Pleasure to meet you," she said.

"And you as well, Danielle," Carmen said, giving a friendly smile and gently shaking her hand.

"Please, call me Dani," she insisted.

Carmen nodded. "Very well, _Dani_."

After Danielle shook everyone else's hands, she gave the vampires a grateful smile. "Thank you for coming all this way. Jasper and I are thrilled that you could come to the wedding."

"We would not have dared to miss such a joyous occasion," Eleazar said with a smile. "Jasper has been a good friend to us. We are happy to be able to be part of such a special time for him, _and_ for you."

Danielle just smiled, while Jasper incline his head gratefully.

"I trust your travels were uneventful?" Carlisle asked, his brows raising slightly.

"Not trouble at all," Kate confirmed with a nod.

Carlisle seemed happy to hear it, but then pulled a face of confusion. "But where is Irina?" he asked. "I had thought she would attend as well?"

The Denali's shared a brief look with one another, a look which Danielle didn't quite know what to make of. "She will be here. She merely…had a few things to attend to first," Tanya answered with a smooth smile.

Carlisle nodded slowly. "I see." He then smiled again, before placing a hand on Eleazar's shoulder. "Come. Allow me to introduce you to Dani's mother."

Eleazar nodded, and with that Carlisle led the Denali's across the yard to meet Lynne.

After Lynne spent a few minutes talking with Carlisle and the Denali's, she finally made the announcement that everyone should start making their plates before the food got cold. Everyone – the Denali's included – fixed themselves a plate of food and settled down at the long table, and then there was a lot of talking and laugh of laughing as they all ate. Danielle found herself watching the Denali's to see if they were as good as the Cullen's when it came to pretending to enjoy human food. They were. They acted completely normal as they ate and chatted with those sitting nearest to them – none of the non-vampires at the table were any wiser of the fact that they were in the presence of two full vampire covens.

Toward the end of dinner, Lynne stood from her seat and tapped her wine glass with her fork to catch the attention of the table. Carlisle had also moved to stand next to Lynne and was holding a glass of wine himself.

"If I could just have everyone's attention for a few moments. I'd like to say a few words," Lynne said, raising her voice to be heard over everyone else's conversations. Once everyone had stopped what they were doing and given her their full attention, Lynne smiled broadly. "I first want to thank everyone for being here tonight and spending this time with us. I know that some of you have traveled very far," she said, looking pointedly to the Denali's, "and we are absolutely _thrilled_ that everyone could make it for this wonderful occasion."

Lynne paused, then looked at Danielle with a small smile. "It's still hard for me to believe that my little girl is getting married tomorrow," she said, smiling around at the other people at the table now. "It seems just yesterday that I bringing her home from the hospital as a fussy, chubby baby, orange haired newborn," she said, which made a few people laugh quietly. Lynne sighed, then gave Danielle a slightly apologetic look. "I don't think it's a secret to anyone here that I didn't exactly have the best reaction when Dani and Jasper revealed that they were getting married. I thought they were too young and rushing into things too quickly, and as a mother who has always been a worrier, I was afraid that things would end…badly."

"But I came to realize something over these past few months," she continued. "My daughter has become a strong, smart, _incredible_ woman. And she has chosen an equally strong, smart, _incredible_ man to share her life with," she said, smiling at Jasper. "I've seen the way Dani and Jasper are together, I've seen how strong of a _team_ they are. I will always worry, because I'm a mother and that's what I do best," she said with a laugh and a shrug. "But I know that Dani is in good hands with Jasper, and I know that Jasper will take care of my little girl." Jasper nodded firmly in confirmation, which made Lynne smile. "I just want to say that I'm beyond happy that the two of you have found one another, and I will be proud to have Jasper as my son-in-law. I wish you both a life full of love and happiness." Lynne raised her glass. "To Dani and Jasper."

Everyone quickly took whatever drink they had nearby and raised it. "To Dani and Jasper!" everyone echoed.

There was a lot of clinging sounds as everyone tapped their glasses together, then everyone took a drink. Danielle grinned at her mother, her heart feeling warm and happy as Lynne smiled back. They only looked away when Carlisle stepped forward.

"If you all have the patience to sit through one more speech, I would also like to say a few words," he said, smiling warmly. "Thank you, Lynne, for this wonderful dinner," he said, inclining his head to Lynne first. "You truly outdid yourself, and we are grateful to you for being such a generous host."

Lynne flushed a little as she nodded modestly.

Carlisle looked back to the table. "When Jasper first told us about Dani, my wife and I could tell straight away that something was different. We knew she was _special_ , and even though he didn't say it aloud, he knew very early on that Jasper was in love with her." Carlisle smiled at Danielle. "Once we _met_ Dani, it was easy to understand why Jasper loved her so much. She is kind and caring and selfless, and I could not be happier that she is soon going to be part of our family."

Danielle blushed at the complimentary words, but still smiled and nodded gratefully.

Carlisle looked at Jasper with pride. "I have seen such a change in you since you met Dani, my son. I have always been proud of you, but to see the man that you have become with Dani by your side…it is a most incredible and remarkable change," he said. "And Dani, I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done for my son," he said next, giving her a sincere look. "The two of you were made for each other, that I am _convinced_ of. I wish you both a long and happy life together." Carlisle raised his glass. "To Jasper and Dani."

Everyone clanked their glasses together again, echoing the toast. As soon as that was done, both Danielle and Jasper stood from their seats and went to hug Lynne and Carlisle while those at the table clapped for them. Danielle squeezed her mother tightly. Lynne hugged her just as tight in return.

"Thank you, mom," she said. "Thank you for _everything_."

Lynne kissed her temple. "You're welcome, sweetie." She pulled back to place her hands on either side of Danielle's face, her eyes looking a little glassier than normal. "I love you, Dani."

"I love you, too," Danielle said, feeling a lump form in her throat when she saw how emotional her mother was getting. "Now don't cry, otherwise _I'm_ going to cry and we'll both look like a mess!" she said to lighten the mood.

It worked. Lynne laughed and hugged her again. "No tears! Not allowed!" she joked back, which made Danielle laugh along with her.

Dinner commenced shortly after, and after helped themselves to some cake, everyone broke off into groups again to resume socializing. Danielle convinced Jasper to dance with her for a few songs, until Tom came along and asked to cut in, which Jasper had no objection to. She twirled around to the music with Tom for a bit, laughing loudly whenever he did particularly dorky dance moves, until she grew tired of dancing and went to get herself a cup of water. She stood by the food table and chatted with Charlie and her mother for a little while, until she noticed that the Denali's were sitting together at the table by themselves. She hesitated for a moment, then excused herself from her current conversation and went toward them.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, ignoring how nervous she was to approach the vampires that she still didn't really know.

"Please, sit," Kate encouraged with a smile.

Danielle smiled and sat down next to Tanya, who gave her a small, friendly smile. "You must be excited for your wedding," Tanya remarked.

Danielle nodded. "Excited, _and_ a little nervous," she admitted. "Hopefully I won't trip and fall flat on my face in front of everyone," she added with a laugh.

The vampires around her laughed quietly. "I am sure everything will be just fine," Carmen offered.

"Hopefully," Danielle said.

There was a pause, then Eleazar tilted his head to the side. "I do not know if he ever told you, but Jasper came to us after the two of you first met," he revealed. "After the… _incident_."

He was referring to her first interaction with Jasper, when he had been so taken with hunger that he had grabbed her and nearly hauled her right out of the school. "I _didn't_ know that, actually."

Eleazar nodded. "He was in quite a state," the vampire said. "I had never seen him so affected before." Eleazar looked at her now with what could only be described as amazement. "When we learned that the two of you had become romantically involved, you can imagine that it was quite a shock to us. And I admit there might have been…some _concern_. But to see him with you _now_ , it almost as if he is _immune_ to you. It is quite remarkable."

Danielle smiled and shrugged. "It hasn't been an easy road, I can tell you that," she said as the vampires listened on with interest. "We…had our struggles. _Still_ have our struggles, if I'm being honest. But we love each other, and we're prepared to do whatever we have to in order to make things work," she said with a firm nod.

The Denali's smiled and nodded in understanding. "You love him very much," Kate stated, giving her a knowing look.

"With all my heart," Danielle said without hesitation, which earned her more smiles from the Denali's.

"I am curious – have you considered becoming one of us?" Carmen asked.

Danielle shifted in her seat at the question. "It's something we're discussing, yes," she answered vaguely. She was not going to tell them that she and Jasper had actually already come to a decision about that. The Cullen's would be hearing about that decision before anyone else would. "As I'm sure you already know, it's not an easy decision to make."

"No, I should imagine not," Tanya agreed.

Jasper appeared behind Danielle in the next moment, though whether it was because he had heard their conversation and wanted to intervene before the Denali's could pry or simply because he had missed Danielle, she couldn't say. "Hello," he greeted, placing a hand on Danielle's shoulder. "Enjoying the evening?" he asked the Denali's.

"Very much so," Eleazar answered. "Everyone is very kind, and I think I speak for us all when I say that Dani is delight," he said, giving Danielle a charming smile. "You have a good one here, Jasper."

Jasper grinned down at her. "Yes, she is. I am very lucky that she picked _me_."

Danielle reached up to touch his hand. "It _wasn't_ a hard decision to make," she said with a loving smile.

Jasper started to say something else, but something seemed to catch his attention. He froze, his eyes turned toward the patio, his whole body going tense in the blink of an eye. Danielle frowned at the shift in his demeanor and turned to see what had caught his attention. She realized that two more people had just entered the backyard, and though one of them was a stranger that she had never seen before, the other she recognized instantly.

 _Laurent_.

Danielle stiffened at the sight of the nomad who had once traveled with James and Victoria. She looked up at Jasper, who now had a furious expression on his face as he glared at Laurent, before looking to the Denali's, who almost looked a little guilty. It was in that moment that she remembered that Laurent, after abandoned James and Victoria, had gone to Alaska per Carlisle's instructions to meet with Denali's and give the vegetarian lifestyle a shot. She had forgotten about it because she had, more or less, forgotten about Laurent. He must have been with them this whole time, though, because as he came closer with whom she could only assume was Irina, his eyes were not as red as she remembered them being before. Still, that didn't stop her blood from turning to ice at the sight of him.

Irina and Laurent finally reached them. "Jasper," Irina said carefully, inclining her head. He was so busy glaring at Laurent that he didn't seem to notice she had spoken to him. "I see you remember Laurent."

"Hello, Jasper," Laurent greeted once he had reached them. He then looked down at Danielle. "And hello again, Danielle."

Jasper took his hand away from Danielle's shoulder and rounded on Laurent. "You _dare_ to show your face here?" he demanded. His voice was low so as not to draw any attention, but his tone and expression were dangerous. "After what your _friends_ did to my fiancé, you have the _nerve_ to come here and address us as if nothing happened?"

Laurent held his ground. "I understand that we have a complicated history. I thought we had parted on friendly enough terms, however," Laurent said with a frown.

"That was _before_ James and Victoria _kidnapped_ and nearly _murdered_ Danielle and Bella," Jasper countered, taking a confrontational step toward Laurent.

Danielle was out of her seat quickly and placing a hand on Jasper's chest to stop him from getting any closer to the former nomad. Jasper stopped at her touch, but kept his gaze locked on Laurent. His eyes, Danielle noticed, had gone black with anger. "Jasper, calm down. This is not the time or place for a fight," she whispered.

Jasper said nothing in response, just stared at Laurent as he waited for the vampire to say something. "I can see now that I am not wanted here, and I will not burden you with my presence any longer than is necessary. I came to wish you well in your marriage, but now it seems I must attempt to make amends as well," Laurent said after Irina gave him an encouraging nod. "I am sorry for the way things happened. What James and Victoria did was… _unfortunate_."

"James nearly _killed_ Danielle and Bella," Jasper reminded him. "That is _more_ than just _unfortunate_."

Laurent nodded in agreement. "Indeed it is," he said. "It was cruel what he did, and know that if there was anything I could have done to stop him, I would have." Laurent paused and looked at her. Jasper growled warningly and angled his body so that he was shielding her, clearly ready to attack if the need should arise. Laurent glanced at Jasper, then looked back to Danielle. "I am sorry, Danielle. I mean that with sincerity," he said, inclining his head. "I am sorry for what he did to you, and to your friend," he said, glancing toward where Bella was.

Danielle followed his gaze and saw that Bella and Edward were standing off to the side with Carlisle and Esme. Bella looked rather frightened at the sight of Laurent, while Esme and Carlisle were watching their interaction with furrowed brows. Edward, on the other hand, looked much like Jasper did – he stood in front of Bella like a sentry, looking angry and ready to strike if Laurent tried to do anything unfriendly. Clearly he also held a grudge against Laurent for what had happened to Bella.

Danielle looked at Laurent again. "I…thank you? For the apology?" she said unsurely, not really knowing what to say. How was one _supposed_ to respond to a vampire apologizing for their former companion attempting to _kill_ them?

Laurent inclined his head again, then looked back to Jasper. "I am relieved that your mate is well," he said. "And I am glad that James has been done away with. The world is better off not having him in it." Laurent took a moment to smile at Irina, before shifting his attention back to them. "I congratulate you on your wedding," he said cordially. "I hope, in the future, that our two covens can continue to work together in harmony. And it is my hope that perhaps, someday, I will able to prove to you that you may trust me."

"I doubt that will happen," Jasper said tersely.

Laurent didn't seem surprised with the response. He just nodded in acceptance, then looked to the Denali's. The rest of the coven stood and moved to stand with Irina and Laurent. "We should take our leave now," Eleazar said, giving Jasper a respectful nod. "I hope that you enjoy the rest of your evening, and we look forward to celebrating with you tomorrow."

Jasper looked at Eleazar for a moment, then turned a glare on Laurent. "In case I have not made it clear enough, your presence will not be welcome at our wedding. I do not want to even catch a _glimpse_ of you tomorrow," he warned.

"I will not attend. You have my word," Laurent said.

Jasper just glared in response. There was an uncomfortable beat of silence, then Eleazar cleared his throat.

"Shall we take our leave?" he asked, directing the question toward his coven.

The rest of the Denali's nodded in agreement, and with that, they turned to leave. Jasper and Danielle just stood there in silence, watching as the Denali's – and Laurent – finally left.

* * *

Even once the party was over and it was time to start cleaning up, Jasper _still_ wasn't in a good mood. He looked tense and angry as he and Emmett helped take down the tables that had been set up for dinner, and even though Emmett seemed to be trying to joke around and pull Jasper out of his funk, it didn't appear to be working. Danielle sighed quietly to herself as she collected plates to take inside, shaking her head in disappointment. It had been such a wonderful week – why did Laurent have to show up and ruin it all?

"Well, I don't know who that guy was that showed up earlier," Tom said to catch her attention. He was stacking plates as well, but his eyes kept turning in Jasper's direction. "But Jasper must _really_ hate him."

So Tom had noticed the confrontation. Danielle sighed again and shrugged a shoulders. "There's some bad blood between them," she said, which was putting it mildly.

"What happened?" Tom asked.

Danielle gave him a look. "It's a long, complicated story," she said in a tone that made it clear she was not going to go into detail.

Tom nodded in understanding, though she could still see curiosity in his eyes. "Well, if he shows up again, tell Jasper I'm more than happy to help him whip his ass," he offered.

Danielle smiled. "I'll pass the message along."

Tom patted her shoulder, then walked away to take the dishes inside. Danielle resumed stacking plates, her eyes turning toward Jasper every so often. When she could stand it no longer, she finally took her plates and went over to where he and Emmett were.

"Em? Could you take these inside for me?" she asked, extending the plates toward him.

Emmett, who seemed to understand that she wanted to talk to Jasper alone, nodded. "Sure."

Once Emmett was gone, Danielle grabbed Jasper by the hand and started to tug him away from everyone else. He went with her quietly, his brows still furrowed together as he frowned and his shoulders still tense. As soon as they were in a more secluded part of the yard, Danielle gave him a small smile and reached up to try to smooth out the creases his frown had made form in his forehead.

"Keep making that face and you might get wrinkles," she joked to try to make him smile. When Jasper didn't smile, she sighed quietly and decided to try a different approach. "Jazz, _please_ don't be upset," she said gently, grabbing his hands and squeezing them comfortingly.

Jasper heaved through his nose. "I just cannot believe the _audacity_ he had. Showing up here? After what happened in Phoenix?" Jasper shook his head, and she could feel a wave of anger roll off of him. "I should have ripped him to pieces," he growled.

"I get why you're mad. I wasn't happy to see him either," Danielle said. "But, Jazz…it wasn't _Laurent_ that attacked us in Phoenix. He didn't really _do_ anything."

"It doesn't matter," Jasper responded. "As far as I see it, he's guilty by association. I don't care if he has changed, or that he is with the Denali's now. I don't want him anywhere near you, Danielle. _Ever._ "

"Well, I think you made that pretty clear to him," she said patiently. "He's gone now, and I don't think we'll be seeing him again any time soon. So could you just…try to forget about him?" she pleaded. She squeezed his hand and gave him a pleading look. "Be _happy_ , Jazz. We're getting _married_ tomorrow."

Her words finally did the trick. The tension in Jasper's shoulders eased and he gave her a small, one hand lifting to brush her hair back away from her face. "I _am_ happy, darlin'," he said. He sighed, a frown of apology pulling at his lips now. "Forgive me for acting like such a barbarian when Laurent arrived. I shouldn't have let my temper get the better of me."

Danielle smiled at him. "It's fine. You don't have to apologize. You were just protecting me." She raised her brows and gave him a mischievous look, taking one step closer. "If I'm being honest, seeing you get all tough was actually kind of… _sexy_ ," she said, one hand moving to rest on his chest, her fingers tracing gentle, absentminded patterns on his shirt.

Jasper immediately gave her a look of warning. "Don't look at me like that," he said, his eyes going dark for a different reason entirely now. "My grip on my self-control is precarious enough already."

Danielle just laughed, then leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "Sorry, _not_ sorry," she said, which made him huff and shake his head.

Emmett returned after that, his brows raising as he looked between the two of them. "Everything cool now?" he asked.

Jasper looked at Danielle, then nodded. "Yes."

Emmett seemed relieved. "Good, because we've still got a bachelor party to get to and I _really_ wasn't looking forward to you being emo all night." Jasper gave him an annoyed look, which Emmett ignored. "And speaking of the bachelor party, we should get going if you want to get some decent hunting in."

Jasper nodded, then turned his eyes back to Danielle. "He's right. We should probably get going," he said, though he didn't sound like he wanted to leave.

"Go," Danielle encouraged. "We've got everything under control here."

Jasper nodded, and with that, she and Jasper went to find Lynne so he could say goodbye while Emmett went to collect Edward.

After the three departing Cullen's had said their goodbyes to everyone, Danielle went outside with them so she could squeeze in just a few more moments with Jasper. While Emmett and Edward climbed into the car that they would be taking back to the Cullen house before leaving for their hunt, Danielle and Jasper lingered on the porch for as much privacy as they could get. Jasper wasted no time pulling her into his arms and planting a lingering kiss on her lips.

"The next time I see you, we will be getting married," he said, looking like his usual self as he smiled down at her adoringly.

"God, I can't _wait_ ," Danielle breathed. "Can we just fast forward to tomorrow?" she then asked hopefully.

Jasper chuckled. "I would if I could."

"I guess I'll just have to be patient then," Danielle said. She smiled, then touched his face gently, her eyes raking over his handsome features. "I love you," she said, even though it as something she told him probably a thousand times a day. "I love you so much, it's almost _ridiculous_."

Jasper grinned and pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you, too. More than you can ever know."

He kissed her again, holding her close, his lips moving slowly and leisurely as if trying to make the kiss last as long as possible. He finally pulled away when Emmett honked the horn. Danielle and Jasper both sent Emmett an exasperated look, before turning their attention back to each other.

"Have fun tonight," she said. "And don't let Em take you to any strip clubs."

Jasper chuckled. "I won't," he promised. He kissed her one last time, then released her and took a step back. "I will see you tomorrow, darlin'," he said.

Danielle smirked. "I'll be the one in white," she joked.

Jasper grinned, nodded, and then turned to leave. Danielle watched him go, smiling widely and waving when Jasper paused outside the car to wave goodbye. He finally got in the front seat then, with one more honk from Emmett, the three Cullen's left. Danielle watched them go until she could no longer see the car, smiling to herself.

The next time she and Jasper saw each other, they would become husband and wife. Come this time tomorrow, she would married to the love of her life and they would be starting a new chapter of their life _together_. It was a thought that made her happy beyond words, and nothing – not even _Laurent_ – was going to ruin that.

* * *

 **Hope this chapter was worth the wait!**


	25. Chapter Twenty-four

**Hi, everyone! As always, I would like to start this update with a thank you! I so greatly appreciate everyone who takes the time out of their day to read this story! To all of you have added this story to their alert/favorite list, who has been so kind as to review, and for those sending me personal messages, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! You're all awesome!**

 **This is it you guys. The wedding is upon us! This was an incredibly fun chapter to write, and it is, without a doubt, probably the** ** _sappiest_** **thing I've written! I sincerely hope that it loves up to everyone expectations!**

 **Also, the end of this chapter contains content that is definitely on the mature side. It isn't anything overly graphic and I, personally, don't think it warrants a rating change for the story, but if by the end of it you guys think it surpasses the T rating, please give me a heads up and I'll change the rating just to be on the safe side. This would also be a good time to warn anyone who does not like reading that sort of stuff to just maybe skip over it. Like I said, though, it's nothing overly explicit.**

 **Anywho, enough from me! Enjoy the new chapter!**

 **Oh, and I almost forgot! A guest reader asked if there was a picture of Danielle's wedding dress that they could see. I found one I think most closely resembles what I had in my head, and I have posted it on my twitter account. Take a gander if you want – the link to my twitter is in my bio.**

 **Disclaimer** **: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Five_

When Danielle woke the next morning, she blinked in confusion as she took in her surroundings. She was so used to waking up in her and Jasper's room that the new setting was a little disorienting. But then she rolled over and found herself face to face with her sleeping mother, and _then_ she remembered where she was – at her mother's house, sleeping in her mother's room.

Danielle smiled as she snuggled into the pillow, taking a moment to stare at a peacefully sleeping Lynne. She hadn't _planned_ to spend the night with her mother at first – she had originally planned to just camp out in her room with Tom, like they had done a million times in the past. But after everyone had left and they had all settled in for the night, she had realized something. Things would change after she and Jasper were married, and then they would change a thousand percent _more_ once she was turned. Her time with her mother, unfortunately, had an expiration date, and she had felt like she needed to take advantage of the time she had left to spend with her mother as a normal, human woman. So she had snuck into her mother's room when it came time for bed, just like she used to do when she was a kid and had scary dreams, and asked to stay with her for the night.

Lynne had been more than happy to say yes, of course.

Danielle gave Lynne a few more minutes to snooze, before she finally reached out to tap her gently on the nose. It took a few more taps before Lynne finally cracked her eyes open to peer at Danielle. "Dani?" she asked sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Dunno," Danielle answered with a shrug. "Do you know what _day_ it is, though?" she asked, a smile of excitement already beginning to stretch across her face.

Lynne, who was still barely even awake, furrowed her brows. "Saturday?" she asked unsurely.

Danielle nodded, then leaned forward a little to give her mother a meaningful look. "And what's supposed to _happen_ today?"

Lynne frowned even further, her sleep-fogged mind struggling to remember. But then, as if someone had flipped a lever somewhere, Lynne's eyes went very wide and she sat up straight in bed, now wide awake.

" _You're getting married today_!" Lynne yelled.

Danielle sat up in bed with a laugh. "Darn right, I am!" she said.

Lynne grabbed her and hugged her tightly, and for a few moments they just sat there hugging each other, half screaming, half laughing like a couple of excited children on Christmas morning. After a few moments of this, however, they heard a thump from overhead, followed by hurried footsteps coming down the stairs. A few seconds later the door to the room opened and Tom burst in, sporting wild hair and equally wild eyes as he clutched a weapon in his hand.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his voice still thick with sleep. "Is someone dying?"

Their screaming had obviously startled him awake. Danielle and Lynne looked at each other then started laughing, while Tom stared at them completely dumbfounded. Danielle only laughed harder when she saw what Tom had grabbed as a weapon – a toilet plunger.

"Nothing's wrong and no one's dying," she said reassuringly. "But even if something _was_ wrong, what the heck were you gonna do with _that_?" she asked, giggling as she pointed at the plunger.

Tom looked at the bathroom tool as if he was surprised by his _own_ choice of weapon, then snorted and shrugged. "I didn't even pay attention to what I was grabbing. I just heard screaming and ran." He then looked at them with raised brows. "Wanna tell me why y'all were _screaming_ now?"

"We were celebrating!" Lynne said with a grin. "My baby girl is getting _married_ today! Now get in here!" she ordered, motioning to the bed. "This calls for a group hug!"

Tom grinned, then tossed the plunger away carelessly and leapt onto the bed to join them. He had Danielle and Lynne both in a bear hug soon enough, and they all began laughing and celebrating together.

With how excited and anxious she was to start getting ready, there was absolutely _no_ chance Danielle was going to be able to stay in bed. After their hug fest was over, Lynne hopped up to go and start making them breakfast and Tom retreated back upstairs to go take a shower. As for Danielle, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand and went into the living room, where she immediately called Jasper.

"Good morning, Mrs. Hale," his smooth, deep voice greeted on the first ring.

Hearing him refer to her as such made her grin so wide, it almost hurt her face. "Not Mrs. Hale yet," she corrected with a laugh.

"You will be soon enough," Jasper replied with a chuckle.

"How was hunting?" she asked, absentmindedly making her way to the window to look outside and see what kind of day it was. It was overcast, but that was actually a good thing – if the sun wasn't out, the Cullen's would be able to move about as freely as they wanted to. And since the reception was outside behind the Cullen house, the less sun they had to deal with, the better.

"Fun and successful," Jasper replied. "How was your night?"

"Quiet and calm," she answered. "I stayed up late hanging out with my mom and Tom, then spent the night with my mom."

"That sounds nice," Jasper said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"It was," Danielle confirmed. She turned to pace back in the other direction, a happy sigh escaping her. "Can you believe it, Jazz? Today is _the day_."

"I know," he said, sounding equally enthusiastic about that. "You aren't getting cold feet, are you?" he asked.

Danielle rolled her eyes at his stupid question, even though it was clear from his tone that he wasn't _really_ serious. "My feet are warm and toasty, thank you very much," she said. "How about yours?"

"My feet are always cold," he shot back jokingly. "Comes with the territory of being a vampire, I'm afraid."

Danielle laughed. "Yeah, I've noticed. Those cold toes touch me in bed from time to time, which isn't all that fun if I'm being honest."

Jasper chuckled. "My toes bother you?" he asked.

"Mhmm," she hummed in confirmation, smirking to herself with amusement. "I'm actually thinking about forcing you to wear socks to bed from here on out," she threatened.

"Well, in _that_ case – " he started to say.

" _Hey!_ " someone suddenly yelled loudly on Jasper's end, bringing their conversation to an abrupt halt. If Danielle wasn't mistaken, that voice belonged to Alice. "Who are you talking to?" the bossy vampire demanded.

"Er…Tom?" Jasper replied unconvincingly.

"No you're not, because _I_ was just talking to Tom," Alice countered swiftly. "That's Dani, isn't it?"

"So what if it is?" Jasper asked.

Alice gasped. "Jasper Whitlock Hale! Give me that phone _right_ _now_!"

There was a brief struggle, which had Danielle listening on with raised brows. Finally, after a significant amount of fumbling around, Alice's voice sounded on the other line. "Sorry, Dani, but rules are rules! No interacting with Jasper until the wedding!"

"I can't even _talk_ to him?" Danielle asked with exasperation. She knew she wasn't allowed to _see_ him, but even _talking_ was off limits? That seemed a little extreme.

"Nope!"

There were words of protest from Jasper, followed by another brief struggle. "Alice, this is absurd!" Jasper complained when he was, apparently, unsuccessful at getting his phone back. "Let me speak to my fiancé."

Alice wasn't going to give in, however. "I said _no_. Now go out back and help Emmett and Edward with the canopy! Go on! _Shoo_!" she instructed.

There was a loud heave of defeat from Jasper. "Fine," he said with annoyance. "I love you, darlin'!" he called out loud enough for her to be able to hear him.

"I love you, too!" she called back, knowing he wouldn't have any trouble hearing her.

After Jasper was, presumably, gone, Alice resumed chatting. "So are you excited or what?" she asked, sounding chipper again.

"Excited doesn't really cover it," Danielle replied with a grin. "I've been so antsy, I'm amazed I was even able to sleep last night."

Alice laughed. "Well, _we're_ all excited, too!" the vampire said, which made Danielle smile wider. "Anyway, there's a lot to do around here before tonight and I don't trust the boys _not_ to start horsing around if left unsupervised, so I should go. But Esme and I will come to your mom's house in a few hours so we can all start getting ready. Until then, just kick back and relax! We want you happy and stress-free today, alright?"

Danielle nodded, even though Alice couldn't see her. "You got it, boss lady. See you soon," she said, before hanging up the phone.

Danielle could hear the water running upstairs, which meant Tom was in the shower now. With nothing to really do, she headed into the kitchen to see how breakfast was coming along. Danielle was immensely surprised, however, to discover that her mother had not only made breakfast, but had also poured some orange juice into a serving pitcher and was now adding champagne to it.

"And what's _this_ all about?" Danielle asked with a quirk of her brow.

Lynne raised her brows meaningfully as she finished pouring the champagne into the orange juice. "Brides are _supposed_ to have mimosas on their wedding day. I think it's an unwritten rule," she said.

Danielle smirked. "Serving alcohol to minors? You rebel, you," she joked.

Lynne waved her off. "I didn't even make it that strong," she defended. She then filled two champagne flutes and handed one to her. "Still…maybe better _not_ to tell Charlie about it," she added with a smirk.

"It'll be our little secret," Danielle reassured with a wink.

They shared a smile, clinked their glasses together, then took a drink at the same time.

When a freshly showered Tom finally came downstairs, he was immediately given a mimosa of his own, which he took without argument. Lynne made a quick toast, they each took a drink, then they sat down to eat breakfast and chat away excitedly about the festivities to come. After they were finished with breakfast, Danielle headed into her mother's bathroom to take a quick shower, then rejoined her mom and Tom out in the living room when she had finished. She was pleasantly surprised to see Bella sitting next to her mother – Bella must have arrived while she had been showering.

Bella was immediately on her feet and coming over to wrap her arms around Danielle. "Congrats on the big day," she said as they hugged each other tightly.

"Thanks, Bella," Danielle said, smiling broadly at her friend.

"Are you nervous?" Bella asked as they separated, her brows raising questioningly.

Danielle shook her head. "Surprisingly, _no_. But it's still early. Ask me again when it gets closer to the ceremony," she said with a laugh and a shrug.

Bella smiled and squeezed her arm. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Everything's gonna be great," she said reassuringly.

Danielle smiled broadly and nodded in agreement. "Everything _will_ be great." Because no matter what happened, she would be calling Jasper her husband by the end of the day – how could this day be anything _but_ great when she was about be marrying the love of her life?

They sat around the living room chatting while the waited for the Cullen women to arrive. Finally, about an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Danielle hurried to the open the front door, grinning widely when she was immediately wrapped up in an ice cold hug from a beyond excited Alice.

"Happy wedding day!" Alice exclaimed.

"Thank you!" Danielle said, laughing at the vampire's enthusiasm.

After Alice released her, she grabbed a few humungous bags that she had brought with her and went inside to greet everyone else. Esme soon moved in to hug Danielle next. "I am _so_ happy that the big day has finally come!" she said, squeezing Danielle affectionately. "And I couldn't be happier to officially call you my daughter."

Danielle smiled down at Esme as they separated, a small lump forming in her throat. "Thank you, Esme," she said, squeezing the vampire's hands. "I couldn't be happier to have you as my mother-in-law."

Esme grinned at that, then glanced back toward the driveway when there was the sound of a car door closing. Danielle followed she gaze, then felt her jaw drop with surprise when she realized that Alice and Esme had brought someone with them. It was Rosalie, and as the beautiful blonde vampire slowly made she way up onto the porch, she gave Danielle a rare, tentative smile. It was a surprise to see Rosalie there, since Danielle had been under the impression that she was uninterested in hanging out with them while they got ready for the wedding.

"I hope you don't mind I tagged along," she said carefully, her demeanor guarded and a little bit awkward. "I thought I could help Alice get everyone ready for the wedding, if that's alright."

Danielle snapped out of her momentary shock, then gave Rosalie a warm smile. Rosalie willingly including herself was a good sign, fueled that little hope that she had been clinging to that she and Rosalie might someday be friends. "Of course it's alright, Rosalie," she said with a nod. "I'm actually really glad you came."

Rosalie gave her another tentative smile at that and nodded, then stepped inside when Danielle ushered her forward.

With everyone present and accounted for now, it was time to start getting ready. Chaos quickly ensued, but it was a _good_ sort or chaos. Enough makeup to fill a factory was soon splayed across the kitchen table as Rosalie got to work on doing makeup for Bella and Lynne, while Alice turned the living room into a makeshift hair salon, complete with an assortment of styling tools, several boxes of multi colored bobby pins, and dozens of hair products. Music was playing in the background as they all chatted and laughed while they got ready, the entire house filled with excited energy as everyone got good and gussied up. The only one _not_ getting pampered was Tom, seeing as all he needed to do to get ready was put a bit of product in his hair and put on his suit. He was happy to lend a helping hand whenever it was needed, however, and even volunteered to go out and grab lunch for them so that all the women could continue getting ready without interruption.

Danielle, naturally, was the last one to get hair and makeup done so that she would, as Alice had put it, be as fresh as possible. Alice took over on makeup, putting on a little more than Danielle would normally wear, but also being mindful to make sure she still looked like _herself._ It was Jasper's one and only request – that no matter what they did or what she wore, he just wanted Danielle to look like _herself_.

After they finished with the makeup, they moved into the living room to do her hair, putting it into the same style that they had practiced with Alice before. When everything was done, Alice gave her a mirror to check over everything while everyone else stood around smiling and gushing about how wonderful Danielle looked. The reflection Danielle saw immediately made her grin – her makeup was bridal, but not overdone, and her hair was pulled into that soft, romantic updo she had loved, accented with a beautiful, sparkly hair clip that Esme had been more than happy to loan. Everything was _exactly_ as she had been hoping for.

"Well?" Alice asked eagerly.

Danielle lowered the mirror and grinned at the vampire. "It's _perfect_. I love it!"

Alice smiled happily. "I'm so glad!" The vampire then looked at the time, her brows raising. "Alright, gang! It's time for us to get going!" she said, clapping her hands.

Danielle looked at the time, her own brows raising when she saw that it was already past three. She didn't know how, but time seemed to be going by _fast._ The ceremony was now only a few hours away now, and as she realized that, the first nervous butterflies of the day begin to flap around in her belly.

There was a mad scramble to get everything they would be taking to the venue packed up. Once everyone had their dresses – or, in Tom's case, his suit – and after they had double and _triple_ checked that they weren't leaving anything important behind, they all piled into two cars and headed for the venue, where they were scheduled to finish getting ready and then start taking some pre-wedding pictures.

As soon as they arrived, they saw Emmett's Jeep in the parking lot, which meant the guys had already arrived. Danielle felt a thrill shoot through her and immediately began searching for Jasper, hoping to at least catch a glance of him. Alice, however, was already typing away rapidly on her cell phone and gave Danielle a smug look.

"You won't find him. I just warned him to stay in his dressing room for the time being or risk losing an appendage," she said with a smirk.

Danielle sighed and gave the vampire a look, while Tom chuckled under his breath. Alice just smiled sweetly in return, looking completely unremorseful about the lengths she was going to in order to keep her and Jasper away from each other.

After they parked, Danielle was immediately shepherded inside to be hidden away in her own dressing room. Once she wasn't at risk of being seen by Jasper, Tom headed off with his suit to get dressed with the Cullen men, while Danielle and the girls immediately began getting dressed themselves. Once Danielle put on her wedding dress, slipped into her shoes, put on her jewelry, and then had Alice secure her veil at the base of her updo so that it fluttered gracefully behind her. She was finally, _officially,_ ready, and when the rest of the women realized that, everyone in the room stopped what they were doing to look at her in awe – even Rosalie didn't seem to be able to hold back a smile as she looked at Danielle in her wedding dress.

"Oh my, baby!" Lynne gushed, immediately crushing Danielle into a hug. Alice, who stood a few feet away, cringed and looked like she wanted to tell them to be careful with Danielle's dress, which she had tailored and steamed to perfection herself. The vampire kept quiet, however, when Esme gave her a look that clearly said not to interrupt the moment.

Danielle hugged her mother back, squeezing her tightly when Lynne sniffled loudly in her ear. "Mom, don't cry! If you cry, _I'll_ cry, then we'll both ruin our makeup!" she said with a watery laugh.

Lynne pulled away to fan her eyes, which had gone red and glassy. Danielle waved her own hands at Lynne's face to help her try to ward off the tears. "I can't help it! You just look so beautiful and I'm just _so happy_!"

Danielle smiled and hugged Lynne again. "Thank you, mom," she said, squeezing her tighter for good measure. Lynne sniffled again in response.

They separated when the door opened. Tom, now dressed in his suit and looking very handsome, stepped back into the room. As soon as Tom saw her he froze, his eyes going wide. Then he grinned widely and came over to hug her. Alice, once again, looked as though she had to refrain herself from telling them not to mess up their outfits.

"You look _gorgeous,_ Dani-lani-ding-dong," Tom said, looking down at her with a sort of brotherly pride. "Jasper's gonna _die_ when he sees you."

Danielle didn't even mind his use of her least favorite nickname. "Thanks, Pickles," she said. "Speaking of Jasper, how is he?" she asked, eager to know how her soon-to-be husband was doing.

"A little nervous, but more excited than anything," Tom answered with a nod, which had her smiling broadly. "He wanted me to give you this."

Tom handed over a black velvet box about the size of a CD case. Danielle looked at it for a moment, then slowly opened the case. Inside was a thin, silver bracelet embellished with several tiny, sparkly diamonds. There was an infinity symbol right in the middle, which was also embellished with several tiny diamonds. There was a note tucked underneath written in Jasper's recognizable handwriting. _Forever my love, for all eternity._

Danielle struggled past the lump that had formed in her throat at the sweet words and willed herself not to cry. "It's beautiful," she murmured, gently touching the bracelet.

"You should definitely wear it," Alice said, stepping forward to gently grab hold of the box. "May I put it on you?"

Danielle nodded in agreement, smiling adoringly as Alice fixed the bracelet around her wrist.

Alice sent another warning text to Jasper telling him to stay in his dressing room or risk being maimed, then they headed outside to take some pre-wedding pictures. After a while, they began to notice that guests were starting to arrive, which had them hurrying inside to hide themselves back in their dressing room before anyone else could see her. From there Alice and Rosalie left – Alice went to make sure that everything else was going as it was supposed to, while Rosalie, who had agreed to play the piano for the ceremony, left to start entertaining the guests as they arrived.

Danielle paced the room, hardly paying attention to what anyone else was saying as they chatted casually with one another. With each minute that ticked by, more and more butterflies started to flap around in her belly. She was finally feeling nervous now, simply because she had been looking forward to this moment for so long and she wanted everything to go according to plan. But more than anything, she was _happy_. Happy that she would soon be seeing Jasper again, and happy that they would soon be married.

Finally, just before five o'clock, Alice returned. "Alright, Dani. Everyone's here and everyone's ready to go!" she announced, which made Danielle's stomach flip. Alice came over and grabbed her by the hands, her brows raising excitedly. "Are you ready?"

Danielle immediately nodded. "I'm ready."

Alice grinned. "Then let's go get you married!"

* * *

Danielle could already hear the sounds of Rosalie playing piano and of the wedding guests talking amongst themselves as she, her mother, Tom, Bella, Alice, and Esme made their way to the ballroom. She hoped she might be able to catch a glimpse of Jasper as they reached the ballroom, but she discovered that the doors were already closed. Only Carlisle stood outside the ballroom since Jasper, Emmett, and Edward were already inside. As soon as he saw her, Carlisle gave her a warm smile.

"You look absolutely _breathtaking_ , Dani," he said, pulling her in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Danielle smiled and squeezed him tighter in response. "Thank you, Carlisle."

As they separated, Alice moved to open the door a fraction and peer inside. Danielle craned her neck to try to see Jasper, but the gap was too small. Alice gestured to whom Danielle could only assume was the pastor officiating the ceremony, then turned back to them. "Alright, it's time! Everyone line up!"

They did as they were told and quickly formed a line. Carlisle and Esme were first, then Bella, then Tom, and, finally, Danielle and Lynne. Danielle fidgeted nervously with her bouquet until Lynne placed a gentle hand on her arm, which drew her eyes to her mother. Lynne smiled then looped and arm through Danielle's, patting her affectionately on the hand. Danielle smiled, the gesture calming her nerves a bit.

Alice opened the door to allow Carlisle and Esme to pass through first, watching as the two made their way down the aisle arm in arm. A few moments later she gestured Bella forward, and after looking back to shoot a nervous smile at Danielle, Bella was off – Danielle sent a quick prayer out that Bella would make it down the aisle without tripping or falling. Tom went next, but not before squeezing Danielle's shoulder and lingering long enough to give Alice a wink. As soon as he went, Alice shut the door to conceal her from sight.

Danielle sucked in a deep breath as she and Lynne moved toward the door. Lynne tightened her grip on Danielle's arm, and in that last moment of privacy together, they looked to one another. Lynne was getting emotional again as she squeezed Danielle's arm

"I'm so happy for you, sweetie. And I'm _so_ proud of you," Lynne said with a nod, her voice a little thick. "You and Jasper are going to be very happy together. I just know it."

Danielle smiled. "Thank you, mom," she said, before leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. "I love you."

Lynne beamed and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, too."

They both finally looked to Alice, who had been silently watching the interaction with a smile on her face. "Ready?"

Danielle nodded, and with that Alice opened the door wide again.

Rosalie began playing the traditional bridal march as soon as the doors opened. There were about fifty guests, all of whom stood from their seats and turned to watch her approach, the room filling with a chorus of ' _ooh's_ and ' _ahh_ 's. The reaction made her blush and smile as she looked around at all of the people who had come to witness her and Jasper getting married. But then she looked forward, and then she saw _Jasper_ , and then it was as if there wasn't anyone else in the room anymore.

He looked breathtakingly handsome in his suit. The hunt he'd partaken in the night before had certainly done him well, she could see that even from far away – his hair seemed more golden than normal, and his cheeks actually had some color in them. But it was the way he was _looking_ at her that stole her breath and made her heart pound against her ribs. He looked awestruck at first, his amber eyes going wide at the sight of her. Then he gave her a smile so heartfelt and so full of love, it was all she could do not to throw down her bouquet and run straight into his arms. Danielle smiled back at him, her heart beating a mile a minute in her chest – she had to resist the urge to pull her mother along faster so that she could get to him quicker.

After what seemed like ages, they finally reached Jasper. Jasper stepped forward and extended a hand to her, which prompted Lynne to release her arm and gently place Danielle's hand in his. After Lynne and Jasper shared a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, Lynne went to her seat on the front row, while Rosalie left her post at the piano to join Carlisle, Esme, and Alice, who had snuck to her own seat while Danielle and Lynne had been walking down the aisle.

Danielle kept her eyes locked on Jasper, a grin permanently fixed to her face as he led her closer to the pastor. Once they were there, Danielle turned to give Tom her bouquet for safe keeping, before turning to face Jasper fully. Briefly she looked at Emmett and Edward, who were both looking handsome and smiling at her as they stood behind Jasper – Edward inclined his head, while Emmett winked and gave her a thumbs up.

Danielle smiled at them, then turned her attention back to her fiancé. Jasper took both of her hands in his, his eyes sweeping over her as if trying to memorize the way she looked. "I have never seen anything more beautiful than you in my _entire_ life," he murmured, his hands squeezing hers affectionately.

Danielle beamed. "Right back at you, Major Whitlock," she whispered, certain her expression was nothing but pure adoration and sappiness.

She felt a strong wave of love roll off of him, which had her – and everyone in the first few rows – sighing happily in response.

The pastor finally began. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of Jasper Whitlock Hale and Danielle Katherine Clark in holy matrimony. On behalf of the Cullen family, the Clark family, and, most especially, Jasper and Danielle…we thank you for being here to celebrate with us today."

The pastor paused, then glanced around at the crowd. "Marriage is perhaps the greatest, and most _challenging_ , adventure of a relationship. Marriage is not created through a ceremony, however. It is created by _you_ ," he said, looking to Jasper and Danielle. "It is done through love and patience. Through dedication and perseverance. Through talking, listening, supporting and _believing_ in each other. It is done through tenderness and laughter. Through learning to forgive, learning to appreciate your differences, by learning to make the important things matter, and to let go of the rest."

"I will confess that I have not known Jasper and Danielle for long," the pastor continued, looking back to the crowd. "But I have spoken with those closest to them, and this is what their loved ones have to say about them. Jasper is a man of _integrity_. He is as kind as he is smart, and he is fiercely loyal and unyieldingly supportive to his friends and family. He would do anything to protect those most important to him, and he would do anything to see that the ones he loves are happy."

Danielle had to smile and squeeze Jasper's hands, because she agreed wholeheartedly with how he had described.

"Danielle is described as having a heart of gold. She is good and caring and selfless, with an easy going personality and a good sense of humor. But she is also a _strong_ woman. She does not shy away from a challenge, and when someone needs protecting, she has the bravery to stand up and do so."

It was Jasper's turn to squeeze her hands now and give her a warm smile.

"As for what I have witnessed _myself_ , I see two people who love and support one another, who have unquestionably enriched each other's lives," the pastor said. "They have found something remarkable in one another, something that so many strive for – they have found in one another the person who makes them feel complete, with whom they share the strongest, and most _special_ of bonds. Jasper and Danielle truly, deeply love one another. That is the truth."

The pastor paused as he let everyone have a moment to take in his words, then he took a step closer to them. "I would like to take this moment to recite a blessing to Jasper and Danielle," he said. He cleared his throat and placed a hand over their clasped ones, before he began to speak again.

" _May the road rise to meet you,_  
 _May the wind be always at your back._  
 _May the sun shine warm upon your face,_  
 _The rains fall soft upon your fields._  
 _And until we meet again,_  
 _May God hold you in the palm of his hand._

 _May God be with you and bless you._  
 _May you see your children's children._  
 _May you be poor in misfortune,_  
 _Rich in blessings,_  
 _May you know nothing but happiness_  
 _From this day forward._

 _May the road rise to meet you_  
 _May the wind be always at your back_  
 _May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home_  
 _And may the hand of a friend always be near._

 _May green be the grass you walk on,_  
 _May blue be the skies above you,_  
 _May pure be the joys that surround you,_  
 _May true be the hearts that love you_."

As he finished with the blessing, he removed his hand and stepped back again. "Jasper and Danielle have both prepared something to say to one another. They will do so now," he announced. He then looked at Jasper and nodded.

Jasper never once turned his attention away from Danielle. He readjusted his grip on her hands, his handsome face pulling into another smile. "Danielle, in all my life I have never known a woman quite like you. You are kind and smart, stubborn and sarcastic, reckless and brave all at the same time. You genuinely care for people, and you try to see the good in everyone. When we first met, things didn't exactly go as well as one might hope…but you looked for the good in _me_. You took a chance on _me_. And because of _you,_ my entire _world_ changed for the better. Being with you is like living in a world of darkness and then finally seeing the sun for the first time. You show me every day what it was to be accepted and understood without question. You make me feel happiness like I have never experienced before. You make me understand what it is to truly love and be loved in return, and you make me feel, for the first time in my life, that I am _worthy_ of that love."

Jasper paused momentarily to give her a serious look. "I love you. I've loved you from the start, and I will love you for the rest of my days. You are my _everything_. Being your husband will the greatest honor of my life, and I swear, right here and now, that I will spend the rest of my days making sure that you are safe, happy, and loved. That is my promise to you, darlin'."

As Jasper finished speaking, Danielle let out a shaky breath and tried _very_ hard not to cry. A few tears escaped anyway, though, which Jasper quickly wiped away with a gentle thumb and an equally gentle smile. When she felt like she had her emotions under control again, she looked to the pastor, who nodded encouragingly. She then looked back to Jasper, who was watching her intently.

"When I came to Forks, the last thing I expected to happen was to fall in love. But then I met _you_ , and I knew right away that everything was going to be different. My mother always said that when I fell in love, I would _know_. And she was right, because it didn't take me long to realize that I had fallen completely, _madly_ in love with you. You are compassionate, loyal, and supportive. You have always been there for me, through good times _and_ difficult times. You make me feel happy and cherished and protected. You make me feel as if there is nothing I can't accomplish, so long as you are by my side. You are everything I have ever hoped for in a partner, and I still can't believe how _lucky_ I am to have found you."

Danielle sucked in a breath and held his hands tighter. "You're the love of my life, Jasper," she stated with a nod. "There is no one I cherish more than you, nobody that I _trust_ more than you. I love you for everything that you were, everything that you are, and everything that you ever _will_ be. And I will gladly spend the rest of my life making sure that you feel as happy and as loved as you have made _me_ feel."

Jasper grinned as she concluded her words and lifted her hands up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. She could hear several people sniffling out in the audience, but she did not look to see who had been moved to tears. She kept her gaze locked on Jasper's, hoping he saw in her eyes just how much she _meant_ what she had said. Hoping he saw just _how much_ she truly, wholeheartedly loved him. When she felt a strong wave of love and gratitude from him, she knew he understood what she was trying to convey.

The pastor cleared his throat, which finally made them look at him. "And now, Jasper and Danielle will say their vows to one another," he said. He turned to Jasper, a small smile gracing his lips. "Jasper, please repeat after me."

Jasper nodded, and as the pastor began to recite the vows, Jasper echoed them. "I, Jasper Whitlock Hale, take you, Danielle Katherine Clark, to be my wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow."

The pastor then looked to Danielle, and she too echoed his words as he led her through the vows. "I, Danielle Katherine Clark, take you, Jasper Whitlock Hale, to be my husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow."

The pastor nodded in approval. "And now, the exchanging of rings."

Danielle turned to Tom so that he could give her the wedding band that she had picked out for Jasper. He winked as he passed it over, which made her smile. She turned back to Jasper, who had just retrieved her own wedding band from a grinning Emmett.

"Your wedding ring is a symbol of your promise to one another," the pastor said. "The ring, an unbroken, never ending circle, is a symbol of commitment and unending love. As you place the rings on each other's fingers, repeat after me."

He turned to Jasper first, who gently took hold of her left hand as he echoed the pastor's words. "I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness. Today, tomorrow, and always," he said, before sliding a thin, platinum band embellished with tiny sparkly diamonds onto her finger to join with her engagement ring.

It was her turn next. "I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness. Today, tomorrow, and always," Danielle echoed, sliding a simple, platinum band on Jasper's ring finger.

It was almost done now, and as they clasped each other's hands again, Danielle smiled so widely she thought her face my split into two. Jasper grinned just as wide and tugged her a fraction closer, looking ready to kiss her at a moment's notice. She could feel anticipation from the crowd, too, who seemed just as eager for the pastor to officially announce them as husband and wife.

"Jasper, Danielle, may your life together be blessed with prosperity and good health. May all the years to come be filled with moments to celebrate and renew your love. May your love be a life-long source of excitement, affection, respect, and devotion to one another." The pastor smiled at them for a moment, then stood a little straighter. "And so now, by the power invested in me, it is my honor to declare you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Jasper didn't need to be told twice. With absolutely no hesitation, he scooped her up in his arms and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, lifting her clear off her feet. Their friends and family erupted in cheers as they kissed, but Danielle hardly noticed. She smiled against her husband's lips, her arms wrapped around his neck tightly as she kissed him with all the love and affection that she felt for him. Finally, Jasper set her back on her feet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Hale!" the pastor said loudly.

Danielle and Jasper waved as there was another loud round of cheering, before Jasper pulled her in for another kiss. When he pulled away, he pressed his forehead against hers. "You're mine forever now, darlin'," he said just loud enough for her to hear, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Danielle grinned and held him tighter. "I was _always_ yours, Jasper."

* * *

After the ceremony was completed and the wedding party went back to the nearest dressing room, there was a lot of celebrating. Tom and Edward shook Jasper's hands and clapped him on the back, while Bella hugged Danielle tightly. When she released her, it looked like Edward was going to move to congratulate her next, but Emmett swooped in before he could. The massive vampire wrapped her up in a big bear hug, lifting her off the ground and shouting _obnoxiously_ loudly about how happy he was that they were officially family. He only let her down when Alice found them and forcibly separated them so that he wouldn't ruin Danielle's dress or hair.

The rest of the guests left soon after and began making their way to the Cullen house for the reception, but Danielle, Jasper, the wedding party, and their families stayed behind to take pictures at the venue and talk with the pastor for a bit, whom they thanked repeatedly for doing such a wonderful job on the ceremony. When the time came for them to head out, their friends and family piled into their cars, while Danielle and Jasper ducked into their own private limo, which Alice had _insisted_ on renting for them. It was the first time they had been completely alone all day, and as soon as they were in the limo and the privacy partition was up, they were all over each other, kissing eagerly and laughing joyfully against each other's lips. Jasper finally pulled away to look at her, his eyes filled with love as he brushed his fingers against her cheek.

"You are stunning beyond words, Mrs. Hale," he said with a smile. "When I saw you coming down that aisle, I thought I had died and gone to heaven."

Danielle grinned and snuck another kiss. Hearing him refer to her as _Mrs. Hale_ made her heart positively soar. "I was pretty sure my heart was going to explode right out of my chest when I saw _you_. It was all I could do not to break free from my mom and _run_ down the aisle."

Jasper chuckled. "That would have been a sight."

"People would have probably thought I was a _lunatic_ ," Danielle giggled out.

Jasper kissed her again, then reached for her left hand to kiss the wedding band he had placed there not even an hour ago. He then noticed that she was wearing the bracelet her had given her, which made him smile. "I see you received my gift."

"It's _beautiful,_ Jazz," she gushed. "Thank you. It was very sweet of you. Though I _do_ feel bad that I didn't get _you_ anything," she admitted with a small frown.

Jasper waved off her words. "You _married_ me. Having you as my wife is all I will ever need."

Danielle smiled at the word _wife._ "Say that word again," she encouraged.

Jasper smirked and bumped his nose against hers. " _Wife_ ," he repeated.

Danielle smiled wider. "One more time."

Jasper chuckled, then gave her a loving look. "I love you, _wife_."

Danielle touched his face with her free hand, loving the way he leaned into her touch with complete trust and comfort. "And I love you, _husband_."

Jasper grinned at the word, then wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and leaned in to claim her lips again.

They reached the Cullen house approximately twenty minutes later, where they were greeted by Alice and the rest of the wedding party the moment they pulled into the driveway. Alice fussed over her for a moment when she saw that Danielle's hair and makeup had gotten a little mussed after sharing _many_ kisses with Jasper on the drive in, but eventually she decided that Danielle still looked presentable enough and began to lead everyone around to the back of the house, where the rest of their guests were waiting for them to arrive.

Danielle had to gawk in amazement when she saw the area that had been set up for the reception. It seemed that the Cullen's had renovated a good chunk of land behind the house, clearing out enough trees and foliage to be able to set up a huge canopy tent. Inside she could see numerous tables, a food station, a DJ booth, and a decently sized dancefloor. The whole canopy tent was decorated with candles and twinkling lights and flowers, giving off a warm, romantic aura. Danielle smiled at the sight, once again feeling grateful to her new family for the lengths they had gone to in order to make their wedding day as special as possible.

Alice stopped them just outside the tent, then motioned to the DJ they had hired. Once the guests had cleared a path, he began to introduce the wedding party in pairs, starting with Bella and Edward. They walked in first to polite applause, walking arm in arm and looking a bit awkward as they hurried to the table where the wedding party was designated to sit. Tom and Emmett went in next, and since _neither_ of them was shy by any means, they took the opportunity to bust into a choreographed dance that they had coordinated at some point in time. Danielle and Jasper laughed along with the rest of the crowd, shaking their head good-naturedly at their silly antics.

It was finally their turn to go inside, and as the DJ announced them as Mr. and Mrs. Hale, the crowd erupted in cheers again. Danielle and Jasper walked inside, hand in hand, waving energetically and smiling widely.

They got swept in the crowd for a good chunk of time. They started going around to greet everyone and thank everyone for showing up, and even though the guest list wasn't huge, it was still overwhelming and challenging to make sure that they made the rounds to speak to everyone. It was all a big blur to Danielle – between jumping from group to group, being bombarded with hugs from their friends and family, and taking pictures with anyone and everyone, Danielle and Jasper were pulled in so many directions, they were barely able to even keep up with everything that was going on.

They were finally awarded a break from all the socializing when the DJ announced that it was time for dinner. Jasper made sure to take her to the food station, where they made plates for themselves, before retreating to the head table to finally sit down. While they ate, Danielle couldn't help but look around with a big smile on her face as she took in the scene before her. Everyone was talking and laughing and having a good time, and to know that all of these people cared enough to come out and celebrate her and Jasper was heartwarming. It was a night for love and celebration, and she wanted to make sure that she remembered as much of it as she could.

She was pulled from her thoughts when Jasper dropped an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple. "What are you thinking about, darlin'?"

Danielle turned her face toward his and smiled, her hand finding his knee underneath the table to give it an affectionate squeeze. "How wonderful this day has been, and how completely and utterly _happy_ I am. This has, without a doubt, been the best day of my life."

Jasper smiled and leaned in to give her a sweet kiss, which she happily returned. "And it has been the best day of _mine_ ," he agreed.

Danielle just smiled and have him another kiss in response.

They separated when the DJ, who had been taking a break while everyone ate, left his booth and came over toward the head table.

"Alright, alright!" he said enthusiastically. "How is everyone doing tonight?" His words were met with polite applause, which made him frown. "Come on, now. I know you guys can do better than _that_ ," he said. "I repeat, how is everyone doing tonight?!"

The crowd cheered more enthusiastically and clapped loudly, which made the DJ nod in approval. "Much better," he said. "On behalf of the lovely couple here, thank you for coming out tonight to celebrate this wonderful union. I know some of you are still finishing up dinner and that's fine, but I've been informed by the pretty lady in blue over there that speeches need to get under way."

The pretty lady in blue that the DJ was referring to was Alice, who sat with them at the head table in the chair to Tom's left. Alice just waved, while Tom quirked a brow at the DJ. "So, to kick things off we're going to hear from the Man of Honor, then our Best Man, and then from the happy couple themselves. So please, everyone give a warm welcome to Tom!"

Danielle clapped loudly and cheered with the crowd as Tom stood from his seat, which was next to hers, and accepted the microphone that the DJ came to bring him. He then pulled a folded up piece of paper from his pocket and cleared his throat.

"Hey, everyone. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Tom Fitzpatrick. I'm Dani's best friend," he introduced.

" _One_ of her best friends," Emmett corrected loudly, which pulled some laughs from the crowd. Danielle just reached around Jasper to pat Emmett on the shoulder.

Tom gave Emmett a look, then turned his attention back to the crowd. "When I sat down to write this speech, it was difficult. How do I summarize a lifetime of friendship in just a few paragraphs? How could I explain to all of you in just a few short minutes what Dani means to me?" He paused to smile at her, then glanced at the paper in his hands. "Dani has been by my side through _everything_. When I was scared on the very first day of kindergarten, she offered me friendship. When I broke my arm the summer before fifth grade, she stayed with me and made sure I was alright. When I got my first facial hair in seventh grade, she was right there laughing at me and teasing me for it." The crowd laughed at that. "Through school projects and summertime jobs, through every crush and every break up, through the good times and the bad ones, Dani has always been the constant in my life. She's the best friend I could have ever asked for, but, more importantly, she's the best _sister_ I could have ever asked for." He paused then smirked. "Don't tell my _real_ sister that I said that, though." The crowd laughed again.

"When Dani met Jasper, I knew there was something different about him. I knew she loved him before _she_ knew she loved him." Tom paused to raise his brows. "I'll be honest – when she told me that they were getting married after only being together for a few months, I thought she had lost her mind. But then I came here, and then I saw, with my own eyes, how much they love each other. And it all made sense," Tom said, nodding his head. "They were meant to be together, I'm sure of that now. Dani, _sis_ …I'm so happy for you. You deserve all the happiness in the world, and I'm glad you've found it with Jasper," he told her with a warm smile. "And Jasper, that's an amazing woman you've got there," he said next. "I'm trusting you to take good care of her."

Jasper inclined his head, silently assuring Tom that he intended to do just that. Tom smiled, then tucked his speech back into pocket and reached for a water glass. "If you could all join me in raising your glass," he said, waiting for the crowd to do just that. "Dani, Jasper, I've never been happier for two people, and I wish you a life of love of happiness together. Congratulations, guys." Then he raised his glass high. "To Dani and Jasper!"

"To Dani and Jasper!" the crowd echoed.

Danielle immediately stood to pull him into a tight hug. When she released him, Jasper did the same, giving him a manly hug and patting him on the back. Tom waved to the crowd, who was clapping for him, then passed the microphone over to Emmett, who smirked widely as he stood from his seat with the microphone in hand.

Danielle shared a slightly wary look with Jasper as Emmett cleared his throat. Alice had warned Emmett to take his speech seriously, but knowing how goofy he was and how much he loved embarrassing them, Danielle was still a little worried about what Emmett intended to say during his speech.

"Sup, everyone?" Emmett greeted. "I'm Emmett, Jasper's _much_ better looking brother," he introduced, which drew laughter from the crowd again. "I'll be honest – I had every intention of coming up here to embarrass the absolute _hell_ out of Jasper and Dani," he confessed. "But I'm not gonna do that. Because today is an _important_ day. For Jasper and Dani, this is the first day of the rest of their _lives_ together, and that's something to be _honored_ , not mocked," he said in a surprisingly serious tone.

Danielle and Jasper shared another look, before looking to Emmett again when he continued talking. "My brother hasn't always had it easy. He's never been the type of guy to have a ton of friends, and he _definitely_ wasn't the guy that always had a girlfriend on his arm. Growing up, there were a lot of challenges he had to overcome. And if I'm being honest, he's _still_ overcoming some of those challenges today. But regardless, my brother is an _awesome_ guy," Emmett stated with a nod. "He's loyal to the people he loves and he protects the people he cares about. He's one hundred percent dependable, and there's nothing but goodness and kindness in his heart."

Jasper smiled modestly at Emmett's words, which made Danielle squeeze his hand affectionately.

"I always knew it would take someone special to win Jasper over, and when Dani came into the picture, I think the whole _family_ knew she was the one. She fit in with our family from day one – it's almost like she was always meant to be there. Not only is she a kick-ass lady, but she's _perfect_ for Jasper in every single way. Through her love and support and acceptance, she _changed_ Jasper for the better, and it's been _awesome_ to watch them grow as a couple."

Emmett turned to look down at Jasper and place a hand on his shoulder. "Jasper, I'm _so_ happy for you, bro. I'm glad you and Dani found each other, and I'm _stoked_ she's your wife now." Emmett looked ay het next. "And Dani? I've never said this, but… _thank you._ Thank you for loving Jasper, and thank you for everything that you have done for him. I couldn't have picked a better woman for my brother. "

His sweet words brought tears to her eyes, which she fought to hold back. Danielle smiled and nodded to him, which had Emmett winking back at her. Finally, he reached for a water glass and held it up high. "To a lifetime of happiness! To Jasper and Dani and their new marriage!"

The crowd echoed his toast and then drank from their glasses. With his speech now finished, Emmett set the microphone down on the table and accepted that hug that Jasper stood to give him. They clapped one another on the back, before releasing one another. Danielle hugged Emmett next, still fighting the urge to cry.

"Great speech, Big Foot," she said, sniffling a bit.

Emmett smiled down at her, then kissed her cheek. "Welcome to the family, sis."

Emmett finally released Danielle and then took his seat. Jasper stood, offering a hand to Danielle so that he could help her from her chair. Danielle slipped her hand into his and stood next to him. The crowd looked at them expectantly as Jasper grabbed the microphone and raised it to his mouth.

"Thank you, Emmett, and thank you, Tom, for your heartfelt words," he said, nodding to each other them. "I think I speak for both of us when I say that were very touched by what you both had to say."

Emmett and Tom reached behind them to share a high five, which made the crowd laugh again. Jasper smiled, then looked out to their friends and family. "There's a lot of people who need to be thanked. Our family, for always being there for us. Our friends, for always supporting us. But there is one person in particular who deserves a fair bit of recognition, and that person is my sister, Alice."

Danielle led the crowd in applause, and ushered for Alice to stand. The vampire did, waving to the crowd and beaming from ear to ear. Danielle took the microphone when Jasper handed it to her, then turned back to her new sister-in-law. "Alice, you have truly gone above and beyond. You have given us the most wonderful wedding we could have possibly asked for, and we simply can't thank you enough for all your hard work and dedication," she said. "You are truly amazing, and we both love you dearly."

The crowd erupted in cheers again, which had Alice pressing her hand to her chest and bowing her head humbly. When the cheering had died down and Alice had reclaimed her seat, Danielle handed the microphone back to Jasper. "I'm sure you are all tired of hearing people talk and I know we're all eager to break in that dance floor," Jasper said with a smirk. "But on behalf of Danielle and myself, thank you, everyone, for being here to celebrate with us today. This has been the most wonderful day of our lives, and to have so many here that care and want to support us is truly humbling." There was another smattering of applause, then Jasper looked down at her with a smile. "Now if y'all don't mind, I'm going to end the speeches now. The time has come for me to dance with my incredibly beautiful wife."

The crowd clapped and cheered as Jasper set the microphone down and then led Danielle around to the other side of the table. He guided her right to the middle of the dancefloor and pulled her close, his handsome face pulling into a smile. Then the first chords of the song ' _Tenderly'_ by Ella Fitzgerald began to play through the speakers, and with that they began their first dance as husband and wife.

The rest of the world around them blurred out of focus. Danielle became lost in Jasper's gaze as they waltzed slowly around the dancefloor, their eyes locked on one another's. She smiled widely as he twirled her in a circle, only to pull her back in even closer. After a while pulled her hand from his to wrap both of her arms around his neck instead, hugging herself to him in an attempt to get even closer. Their pace slowed to a casual sway as Jasper leaned down to press his forehead against hers. Danielle's eyes slid closed and a sigh of contentment escaped her. This _had_ to be heaven on earth, she decided. Holding her husband close, having that wonderful piney scent in her nose and feeling safe in his arms as they danced to Ella Fitzgerald…it just didn't get much better than that.

Jasper finally pulled away when the song started to wind down, his eyes shining with love and happiness as he twirled her one last time, before he slowly dipped her backwards. Then, as the song came to a close and their wedding guests began to clap for them again, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, and they shared a long, sweet kiss.

* * *

After their First Dance as husband and wife, they continued on with the usual traditions and danced with their parents. Jasper and Esme waltzed gracefully to some old timey song that Danielle wasn't sure she had ever heard before, while she and her mother swayed to a more modern song that they had decided on together. Lynne, unsurprisingly, cried through the entire dance. Thankfully, however, Alice had prepared for such an occurrence and was waiting with tissues as soon as they stepped off the dancefloor.

When that was finished, it was time for the party to _really_ start. The DJ started playing popular, upbeat songs that had the younger crowd rushing to the dancefloor to start getting down. It wasn't long before Angela and Jessica came to steal her away from Jasper and sweep her out on the dancefloor – she didn't _really_ want to leave his side, but she went with them anyway, knowing she needed to pay attention to their friends, too.

She danced with the lunch group for a while, even managing to tear Bella away from Edward long enough to get her to dance with them for a few songs. Eventually she moved away from the lunch group to dance with Emmett when he begged for a dance. She let him swing her around until Lynne shimmied up to her and they spent a song laughing and dancing together. A little while later, Danielle found herself getting roped into a dance battle with Tom when one of their favorite songs came on. The crowd cheered them on as they went, even though _neither_ of them was particularly good, until Tom eventually conceded and proclaimed her the winner, which pulled another round of loud cheering from those around them.

When the music slowed down, she was more than happy to agree to dance with Carlisle, who guided her around the dance floor in a graceful waltz. From there, Eleazar of the Denali coven stepped in to ask for a dance, and though she didn't know him well, she happily agreed. She was unsurprised to discover that he was just as good of a dance as the rest of the Cullen's.

The time finally came, however, where she needed a break. She didn't know how long she had been dancing for, but it was long enough to leave her feeling parched and a little bit sweaty. Danielle left the dancefloor and went to get some water from the refreshment table, where she spent a considerable amount of time talking to a few of Esme's friends that had been invited to the wedding. Eventually everyone filtered away, and for a few brief seconds, she found herself alone. She began to scan the crowd for Jasper and found him talking with a few of Carlisle's doctor friends on the far side of the room. He sent her a dazzling smile when he noticed that she was looking at him, which made Danielle send him a smile and a wink in return.

"Danielle?"

She blinked and looked away from Jasper, her eyes turning instead to the person who had just approached her. It was Irina, the vampire from the Denali coven that she had only briefly met at the rehearsal dinner the night before. Danielle straightened up and turned to face the beautiful vampire, putting on a polite, friendly smile.

"Hello, Irina."

Irina smiled. "I wanted to say congratulations. You and Jasper look so very happy together. I am glad for it and I wish you luck in your marriage," she said with a respectful nod.

"Thank you," Danielle said. There was a pause where neither of them said anything. Irina looked a little bit guarded, and Danielle had to wonder if it was because of the less than pleasant exchange between Jasper and Laurent the previous night. "Are…are you enjoying your time here in Forks?" Danielle finally asked to break the silence.

Irina nodded. "Oh yes. We always enjoy visiting with the family," she said at once. "We do not see the Cullen's as often as we would like. It is nice to be reunited with them again. And, of course, it is nice to be celebrating with you and Jasper."

Danielle nodded, then couldn't help but glance around searchingly. She knew Laurent wasn't there, of course, knew the Cullen's would have thrown an absolute _fit_ if he had dared to show his face during their celebrations, but she looked around for him anyway. When she did not see him, she looked back to Irina. The vampire seemed to know exactly what Danielle had been doing.

"Laurent has gone back to Denali," Irina told her without Danielle even asking. "He…did not want to impose any further than he already has."

Danielle nodded slowly. Irina's tone was just the tiniest bit stiff, and if Danielle had to guess, she would say the vampire wasn't overly thrilled about the way Laurent had been treated. "I don't really blame him for what happened, you know," she felt the need to clarify. "He wasn't involved with what happened in Phoenix. I know that, Bella knows that… _Jasper_ knows that, too. He's just…" Danielle sighed and shrugged a shoulder. "He's protective of me, and James and Victoria are a touchy subject for him," she confessed. "He doesn't like being reminded of what happened, and that's exactly what Laurent is – a reminder of what James and Victoria came _very_ close to doing to us."

Irina hummed in understanding, the tension in her shoulders easing some. "I understand Jasper's point of view," she said diplomatically. "But I want you to know that Laurent feels _very_ badly about what happened. When we heard what had happened, he was very upset. If there was anything he could have done to prevent it, he would have. I hope you believe me when I tell you that."

The earnest look on Irina's face had Danielle smiling reassuringly. "I do." Irina seemed relieved to hear it. "If you don't mind me asking, are the two of you… _together_?" Danielle asked when her curiosity got the better of her. Because just judging by the way she spoke about him, it certainly _sounded_ like they were.

Irina smiled and nodded. "We are."

Danielle nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry he couldn't be here with you tonight," she said.

Irina lifted a shoulder. "It is probably for the better. This is an important day for you and Jasper. I would not want to be the cause of it being ruined in any way," she said. "And even though Laurent has committed to our lifestyle, I _do_ think him being around so many human would have been a… _struggle_ …for him," she admitted.

Danielle lifted her brows. "Has the change been hard for him?"

Irina gave her a look. "The change is hard for _any_ vampire. To resist our natural instinct to feed on humans requires _years_ of practice," she explained. "But, as you can see, it _is_ something that can be accomplished." Irina smiled, then nodded reassuringly. "With our help, Laurent will fully acclimate to this new lifestyle soon enough. Of that I have no doubt."

Danielle smiled and nodded, internally hoping that Irina was right and hoping that the next time they saw Laurent again – _if_ they saw Laurent again – his eyes would be amber colored and not red.

She and Irina might have talked more, but someone else came to join them in the next moment. Danielle's brows raised high as Edward approached with a small, easy smile on his face. He stopped next to them, his eyes glancing back and forth between the two of them, before he raised his brows. "Pardon my interruption, ladies, but I was hoping I could share a dance with the beautiful bride."

Danielle's brows raised even higher. She glanced at Irina, then at an expectant looking Edward. "Er, of course." She set her water down, then looked at Irina with a smile. "It was nice speaking with you," she said. "Hopefully we can talk more later?"

Irina nodded. "Of course."

Irina left after that to rejoin the rest of the Denali's, who were talking with Lynne and Charlie a little ways away. Danielle watched her go, then look back to Edward. He smiled again and offered an elbow to her. Danielle hesitated for only a moment, then slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and allowed him to lead her to the dancefloor.

The song was a slower one, which meant that she was led, once again, in a waltz around the dancefloor. For a long few moments they did not speak, which left Danielle feeling a little awkward. Though Edward had not been outwardly acting strange around her in the days leading up to the wedding, they still had not really talked since he had discovered that she had come to the decision to be turned into a vampire. Perhaps it was because they had busy, or maybe it was just because neither of them was quite sure how to approach the topic. Either way, interaction had been limited as of late, which was why she was surprised he had asked her to dance. Maybe, she thought hopefully to herself, Edward _wasn't_ mad at her after all.

"Thank you for the dance," she finally said when she couldn't stand the silence any longer.

Edward looked down at her. "I heard you and Irina speaking and thought you would prefer _not_ to talk about Laurent on your wedding day," he said, which had her nodding in understanding. "But also, what sort of brother-in-law would I be if I did not dance with you at your own wedding?" he asked next, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Danielle smiled, feeling some of the tension leave her shoulders. "A pretty bad one, I think."

Edward snorted lightly. "Agreed."

They danced some more, slowly maneuvering around the dance floor. She noticed Jasper dancing with her mother, and when their eyes met, he smiled broadly at her. She smiled back, promising herself that she would go and reunite with Jasper once she was done dancing with Edward. They had been separated for far too long.

"I know what you and Jasper are planning," Edward stated quite out of nowhere, making Danielle's eyes jump back to him. He had been looking elsewhere, but turned his amber colored eyes down to hers. His expression, suddenly, was very serious. "I know you have come to a decision."

Danielle felt tense again. She glanced around to see if any of the other Cullen's were paying attention or eavesdropping, but the ones she could currently see seemed too preoccupied to pay them any attention. "Yeah, I know that you know," Danielle said, her eyes turning back to Edward. "It was kind of obvious when you figured it out." Edward didn't say anything to that. "You don't approve," she stated bluntly.

Edward sighed. "My opinion is not important," he said evasively.

Danielle gave him a look. "It _is_ , actually," she argued.

Edward seemed mildly surprised at her counter. Then he sighed heavily and allowed a small frown to appear. "It isn't that I don't approve," he finally said. "I want you and Jasper to be happy, and if you both believe that you becoming one of us is what is best, I will not argue against that." He paused, then frowned deeper. "But I do worry what sort of impact your decision will have on Bella," he confessed.

Danielle quickly put two and two together. "You think it'll just make her want to be turned even more," she concluded.

Edward nodded once in confirmation.

Though Danielle was more than aware of Edward's refusal to even _discuss_ the possibility of Bella becoming a vampire, she had never talked to him about it. This was mostly because Bella had asked her not to out of the concern that if they _both_ pestered him about it, then he would only become more difficult. But now that Edward had brought it up, she found that she just couldn't hold back.

"Why are you so against the idea of Bella being turned?" she asked.

Edward stiffened a bit at the question. "She does not know what it is that she is asking for," he said, his gaze trained elsewhere again. "She does not understand how much she would be giving up."

Danielle lifted a brow. "You know that's a bunch of horse manure, right?" she shot at him. Edward gave her a look. "Do you have any idea how many times Bella and I have talked about being turned? She's listened to me debate the idea for _months_. Trust me – she understands what it means, and she knows _exactly_ what she would be getting into."

"It is a difficult life that I fear she would be unhappy with," Edward countered without missing a beat. "I fear she would regret it."

"So it's alright for _me_ to take on that difficult life, but not _her_?" she pointed out.

Edward smiled wryly. "You are my _sister_. She is _not_. There is a difference."

The fact that he had called her his _sister_ surprised her – she honestly hadn't thought he viewed her that way. Her surprise at that, however, was quickly overshadowed as she thought about what he was really saying. Danielle shook her head, unable to help thinking that he was being pretty hypocritical about this whole thing. As that thought flashed through her mind, Edward cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Perhaps I _am_ being a hypocrite," he admitted. "Though I am being so out of good intentions."

Danielle gave him a slightly sour look. "You're not supposed to read my mind," she reminded him.

Edward gave a wry smile. "I usually don't. But sometimes you think so loudly – and so _forcefully_ – that it is impossible not to."

Danielle huffed at that, then let her eyes turn elsewhere. Her gaze landed on Bella, who was talking with Angela and Jessica on the side of the dancefloor. For a moment Bella looked at them – or rather, looked at _Edward_ – and a look Danielle knew all too well passed over her friend's face. Then she was looking back to Angela and Jessica, smiling at whatever they were saying.

"She loves you," Danielle said, turning her attention back to Edward.

Edward pressed his lips together. "I know."

"And _you_ love _her_."

Edward looked at her, then nodded once. "I do."

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life with her?" Danielle asked bluntly.

Edward hesitated only slightly. "Yes," he confessed quietly.

"Then maybe the two of you should start having some real conversations about where exactly it is that your relationship is going," she suggested. "This isn't a subject you can avoid forever, Ed. Bella can be stubborn as a mule when she really wants something, and I think this is something she really wants." Edward frowned at that, which made Danielle sigh. "You don't have to make any big life decisions _now._ It's just about being open and honest with the woman that you love. It's about _communicating_ with each other. So stop being stubborn and just _talk_ to her."

Edward sighed heavily through his nose. "I am only being stubborn because I am trying to do what I think is best for her," he said.

Danielle gave him a pointed look. "Jasper said something similar to me once. You know what I told him? That _I_ was the only one who could decide what was best for me. Bella isn't a child. She's a grown woman who can think for herself. Maybe it's high time you started treating her that way."

Edward looked down at her for a moment, then gave her a small smirk. "You know, your brutal honesty is one of the things I have always admired most about you, Dani," he commented. "No one can ever say that you are afraid to speak your mind."

Danielle smiled a bit. "Never did have much of a filter, unfortunately."

Edward smirked a little wider, then sighed and glanced in Bella's direction. His eyebrows furrowed for a moment as he seemingly thought their conversation over, before he looked down at Danielle again. "You may not know this, but I hold your opinion to rather high regard," he said, which had her brows raising in surprise again. "With how good you have been to Jasper, after all that you have done for Bella…I respect you very much." Edward paused, then nodded. "I cannot make any promises, but…I will certainly take what you have told me into serious consideration."

It wasn't the best response she could have hoped for, but it was the best one she was likely going to get. "Good," she said. Then she smiled. "And…thank you. I respect you, too, just so you know…even though you are _quite_ the stubborn-ass."

Edward chuckled quietly. "There's that brutal honesty again."

Danielle couldn't help but laugh. "Might as well get used to it. I'm gonna be around for a while."

Edward nodded. "And I'm glad for that. I'm happy for you and Jasper, and I'm happy that you are in our family, Dani," he told her sincerely.

Danielle was rather touched by his words – they were likely some of the kindest things he had ever said to her. "Thank you, Ed."

Edward just inclined his head to her with a small smile.

The song they were dancing to came to an end, and as they stopped dancing, Jasper suddenly appeared by their side. It was obvious by the small, concerned furrowing of his brows that he had likely been eavesdropping on her conversation with Edward while he had been dancing with Lynne.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, his gaze sliding from Danielle, to Edward, then back again.

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Yep. Just…having a little heart to heart," she said.

Jasper nodded, his brows relaxing. He then looked to Edward, before motioning to Danielle. "Mind if I cut in?" he asked.

Edward shook his head, then placed Danielle's hand in Jasper's. He then clapped Jasper on the shoulder. "Enjoy dancing with your beautiful wife," he said, giving Danielle another small smile. "I think I will go and see if I can coerce Bella into a dance with me."

"Good luck with that," Danielle said with a snort, knowing how much the clumsy and uncoordinated Bella loathed dancing.

Once Edward was gone, Jasper wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He watched his brother retreat for a moment, then looked down at her again. "You're sure everything's alright?" he asked quietly as they began to sway to the new song that had begun playing.

Danielle smiled and nodded. "Positive. It was a conversation that needed to happen, and I think some _good_ might actually come from it," she said. After Jasper nodded in understanding, she pressed a little closer and tightened her arm around his neck. "Let's stop talking about Edward now," she suggested. "I just want to enjoy dancing with my husband."

Jasper's expression relaxed after that, and he leaned down to give her a slow, sweet kiss. "Happy to oblige, Mrs. Hale."

The rest of the reception seemed to fly by after that. There was a lot of dancing and a lot of laughing as Danielle and Jasper celebrated the night away with their guests, the two of them staying glued to one other's hips for the remainder of the evening. There were a few more traditions to uphold, which Alice made sure they did not forget about. When it came time for the ceremonial tossing of the bouquet, Danielle aimed for Bella and Alice, who stood close together off to the left. It was Jessica who ended up getting the bouquet in the end, however – the girl had, rather _aggressively_ , forced her way in front of Bella and Alice and snatched the bouquet out of thin air, like a football player intercepting a pass. It was pretty hilarious to watch, and Mike's expression when his girlfriend landed the prize was even funnier.

After that, it was time for the garter toss. Danielle found herself sitting in a chair in the middle of the dancefloor with all the single guys crowded together a few feet behind her. Jasper slowly advanced on her, his lips pulling into a smirk. Danielle blushed, her eyes magnetized to Jasper as he sunk down onto a knee in front of her and gave her a look that could only be described as _predatory_. She gulped as he ducked underneath her skirt, her heart jumping in her chest as she felt his cool breath and gentle fingertips traveling the length of her leg.

He found her garter easily, but didn't grab it straight away. Instead, she felt his lips pressing a slow kiss to the skin of her thigh, pulling a small gasp from her that made people laugh and cat-call. Finally, he carefully grabbed the garter with his teeth and began to retreat. When he reemerged, hair slightly mussed and garter between his teeth, there was a look in his eyes that made heat shoot straight through her. He grinned wickedly, obviously sensing the emotions that had just swarmed her, then stood and snapped the garter toward the single guys. Tom was the one to catch it, and once it was all over, Danielle found that she desperately needed something cool to drink.

They cut the cake shortly after, where they had a little bit too much fun shoving cake into each other's faces. Jasper gave her a long, icing flavored kiss that pulled a few wolf-whistles from the crowd, before they pulled away to clean themselves up and help themselves to some cake.

There was a little more dancing after that, a few more pictures to be taken, and then the party finally began to wind down. Before Danielle knew it, Alice was ushering her and Jasper out of the canopy tent and into the Cullen house so that they could change out of their wedding attire and into the clothes they would be wearing as they departed for their honeymoon. While Jasper went into his bedroom to change, Danielle went into Alice's bedroom, where the vampire helped her out of her wedding dress, the two of them giggling like mad and chatting a mile a minute the entire time.

After Danielle had changed into a pretty, white sundress, they started for the door. Danielle stopped Alice with a gentle hand, however, then hugged the vampire tightly. "Thank you, Alice," she said, hugging her new sister-in-law tightly. "This was the most _perfect_ day."

Alice smiled as she hugged her back. "You're _more_ than welcome, Dani." They finally pulled back, and Alice took one last moment to squeeze her hands affectionately. "I'm going to go down first and make sure everything is ready. On my signal, you and Jasper come down, okay?"

After Danielle nodded in understanding, Alice opened the bedroom door and hurried downstairs. Danielle smiled when she saw that Jasper had been waiting for them to emerge. He had changed into jeans and a casual, forest green button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked _sinfully_ good, and there was nothing she could do to stop herself from stepping in close to wrap her arms around his neck, feeling the burning need to just be close to him.

"It should be illegal for you to look this good," she said with a smile.

Jasper smirked. "I could say the same for you, darlin'," he said, giving her a pointed once over. When his eyes returned to her, there was undeniable love in them. But there was something else, too, something similar to what she had seen in his gaze during the garter toss, similar to what she had seen in his gaze the night before, when they had been kissing in their bedroom. It made her shiver, which had him pulling her closer.

"I've probably said it a thousand times today, but I will say it again…I love you so very much."

Danielle smiled and let her fingers toy with the hairs at the nap of his neck, her eyes never leaving his. "I love you, too, Major Whitlock."

He leaned in to kiss her, his lips slow and unhurried. She forgot where they were for a moment, forgot that they were supposed to be listening out for Alice's signal to come downstairs and enjoy whatever sendoff she had prepared for them. She pressed closer to Jasper, sighing against his lips, her heart skipping in her chest as he kissed her a little bit harder, a little bit deeper. They only pulled away when there heard the clearing of a throat. Alice, looking impatient and exasperated, had come back upstairs to see what was taking them so long.

"No wonder you didn't hear my signal," she said with good-natured exasperation. "There's plenty of time for that later. Get going, you two. Your guests are waiting!"

Danielle and Jasper nodded, then finally separated. He grabbed her by the hand and led her downstairs. When they finally made their way to the front door and stepped outside, they were greeted with loud cheering from their friends and family. Everyone had formed two long rows on either side of the walkway, and everyone was holding a brightly colored sparkler in their hands.

Danielle and Jasper smiled, shared a look, then started down the walkway toward Jasper's car, which they would be taking to the airport. They were stopped several times for hugs and last well wishes along the way, which neither of them minded at all. Their families and their closest friends were all waiting closest to the car, and they finally let go of each other to say goodbye to those most important to them. Danielle hugged her mother, who cried, then embraced Tom, who made her promise to come and visit him in Houston as soon as possible. She then hugged Bella, who told her to have a good honeymoon, before embracing each member of the Cullen family. She was so caught up in everything that she even hugged Rosalie – the vampire was immensely surprised, but managed to recover enough to pat her awkwardly on the back.

Finally, it was time to go. Jasper opened the passenger side door, and after she shared one last hug with her mother and kissed her on the cheek, Danielle got in. Jasper hurried around the driver's side and started the engine, while Danielle rolled down the window, waving and calling out goodbye's to everyone. Jasper honked the horn once, then they were finally pulling away from the house and out onto the road. As Danielle grabbed Jasper's hand and settled into her seat, the last thing she saw in the side mirror was their friends and families crowding onto the road to watch them leave, until eventually they, and the bright light of their sparklers, faded from sight completely.

* * *

Their first flight from Seattle to Houston went quickly. Still buzzing with energy after such a fun and eventful night, Danielle and Jasper spent the entire flight lost in their own little world as they reminisced about the wedding and talked about everything that had happened during the reception. The flight from Houston to Rio de Janeiro didn't feel too terribly long, either, but that could have been because she slept through most of it. Now that it was late, now that the adrenaline that had been coursing through her had begun to wear off, it didn't take long for the exhaustion of the day to catch up to her once they were in the air. She snuggled into Jasper's side, feeling safe and secure as he wrapped a long arm around her shoulders to pull her in close, and used his shoulder for a pillow. Soon she was asleep, and she didn't wake again until they were nearly descending into Rio de Janeiro.

It was night when they landed, and the air was hot and humid when they stepped out of the airport. As used to it as she had been when living in Houston, now that she had been in the cold and rainy Forks for so long, the drastic change in weather was almost unbearable. She was more than happy to snuggle with Jasper again once they were in a taxi and headed toward their next destination – the coolness of his body made the heat outside considerably more bearable.

They drove until they reached the water, and after paying the cab driver and collecting their bags, they started off down toward the docks. Danielle eyed the yachts they were bypassing, her eyebrows rising a little more with each fancy looking boat they stepped past. It was clear that they were headed toward a yacht that the Cullen's must have owned, and she couldn't really say that she was _surprised_ by the fact that the Cullen's owned one – seeing as they were rich enough to own a beautiful house, multiple fancy cars, _and_ an entire _island_ , it really only made sense that they would also own a big, fancy boat.

When they finally reached the boat, Danielle found that while it was still fancy and luxurious, it actually wasn't as big as she had been expecting. It was smaller than the rest but also looked as though it would be _faster_ than the rest, which made sense given the Cullen's affinity for speed. Jasper effortlessly hauled the bags onto the boat, then jumped aboard himself. He held out a hand to help her aboard, then began preparing the boat to leave.

Danielle watched him work, feeling the first twinges of nervous excitement as it sunk in just how close they were to reaching their final destination. They would be at Isle Esme soon, where their honeymoon would officially begin. Tonight would be their first night as husband and wife, and as she quickly remembered just what their first night as a married couple would entail, there was no stopping the butterflies that filled her stomach, nor the desire for him that started to simmer in her veins at the mere _thought_ of finally being able to make love with Jasper.

Her feet moved forward on their own accord, and she could not resist wrapping her arms around him from behind, which made him pause in his work. She kissed his shoulder through his shirt, then craned her neck to press a gentle kiss to the back of his neck. Jasper shuddered in response, a quite sigh escaping him.

"Pardon me, Mrs. Hale, but are you trying to _seduce_ me?" he asked. His tone was teasing, but his voice was huskier than normal.

Danielle pressed closer. "What if I am?"

Jasper turned in her arms and pulled her closer, his eyes smoldering as he leaned down to bump her nose with his. His hands slid low onto her hips and his lips just barely brushed against hers. "Then I'd say you beat me to the punch," he murmured.

Her breath caught in her throat and her heartbeat began to pound in her ears. "Whether I beat you to the punch or not, I think you're doing a better job," she said breathlessly.

Jasper smirked down at her. "You do a _far_ better job than you think, darlin'," he said with a meaningful look.

She would have happily gotten lost in his next kiss if he had allowed her to, but soon he pulled away from her and said that they should get going. He directed her towards one of the seats at the front of the boat and Danielle went to sit down, trying to ignore how shaky her legs still felt. Finally, he pushed the boat away from the dock and out into the water, and soon they were heading out into the open water.

Danielle was actually grateful for the breeze that whipped through her hair and the spray of the ocean against her skin – it helped her to calm her down a little and get her thoughts back in order. It was dark out on the water and difficult to see much, but she didn't mind it. Now that they were away from the lights of Rio, she was presented with a _spectacular_ view of the stars overhead. She found herself torn between staring up at the twinkling lights overhead and the handsome vampire currently steering them toward Isle Esme. She found herself wondering which was more beautiful – the stars or Jasper – before deciding that her husband, most assuredly, won by a landslide.

After what felt like half an hour or so, Jasper slowed the boat down and motioned for her to join him. When she was by his side, he slid an arm around her waist and motioned toward something in the distance. "There it is," he announced.

Danielle didn't see it at first, but eventually the silhouette of Isle Esme came into view. She smiled excitedly, watched it grow larger and begin to take shape the closer they got, until she could see swaying palm trees and a pearly white beach. There was a single wooden dock jutting out from the island, which Jasper directed the boat toward. Once they had come to a stop, he cut the engine and hopped out to secure the boat so that it would not go floating off into the ocean.

Jasper helped her out of the boat first, then jumped back in to grab their suitcases. With the suitcases in one hand and her hand in the other, he led her off toward the trees up ahead. It was dark as they trekked through the forest, and eerily quiet compared to the noises of the suburbs and cities that she as used to hearing – all she could hear out there was the sound of the trees swaying in the wind, the waves of the ocean crashing in the distance, and her own feet thumping against the forest floor.

They didn't have to walk long, maybe only for about five minutes, before she began to see the warm glow of lights up ahead. They finally broke through the trees and she was presented with the sight of a beautiful home, its windows already filled with inviting light. How the lights inside had gotten turned on when it was clear that nobody else was there was beyond her, but she didn't care enough to ask Jasper about it. With the house now in sight, the excited butterflies had returned. She was certain Jasper could feel it, too, because his grip on her hand tightened and he lifted her knuckles to his lips to kiss them, his eyes shining with love and reassurance.

They walked right up to the spacious porch, and Jasper wasted no time pushing open the front door, which had been left unlocked. He set the suitcases inside, then turned to her and, without warning, picked her up bridal style. Danielle couldn't help but giggle as her arms wound around his neck.

"Per tradition," he said with a grin, before carrying across the threshold.

He kicked the door closed behind them, then set her down on her feet. She looked around for a moment, taking in the sights of the house. The decorations and color schemes reminded her a lot of the Cullen house back in Forks, which made her feel comfortable and at ease. She quickly lost interest in the house, however, when Jasper stepped in close, his arms winding around her from behind and his head dipping down to press leisurely kisses to her neck and shoulder.

Danielle turned in his arms and placed her hands on either side of his neck, their foreheads touching for a moment. Their lips met for what felt like their thousandth kiss that day, unhurried at first, but slowly growing more and more in intensity. Eventually, Danielle pulled her lips away, her cheeks flushed and her breathing heavier than normal. When she saw how dark Jasper's eyes had gone, when she saw the desire swimming in their depths, it was hard to resist the urge to kiss him again.

"Could you…give me a few minutes to be human?" she asked. "I've got airport germs all over me. I'd like to get cleaned up."

Jasper nodded, then slowly released her. "Of course," he said.

He grabbed her suitcase and led her down a hallway to the left. They stepped into a bedroom that was decorated in shades of tan and white, with a giant window that overlooked the water. He set the suitcase on the bed, then pointed to a door on the left side of the room.

"Bathroom is there," he said. "Take however long you need."

Danielle nodded, then, after Jasper gave her one last kiss, he stepped out of the room to go and keep himself occupied while she cleaned up.

She sucked in a breath, then went into bathroom to take a shower. She washed her hair and then scrubbed her body _twice_ , making sure she was squeaky clean. Danielle took extra care shaving her legs, double checking that she had gotten that elusive spot on her right ankle that she always seemed to miss. The entire time, however, she was acutely aware of the fact that Jasper was waiting for her. Acutely aware that when she came out of the shower they would be getting into bed. Acutely aware that soon they would be taking that final, intimate step with one another. The butterflies would not go away now, and her entire body felt electrified from the anticipation coursing through her.

Danielle stepped out of the shower when she was finished and wrapped a towel around herself. She stepped back into the bedroom, almost feeling disappointed when she saw that Jasper had not returned, then went to dig in the suitcase for something to change into. When she found something white and lacy tucked underneath a stack of her shirts, she frowned with confusion, before shaking her head with a small laugh.

It _had_ to have been Alice who had put that lingerie there. That sneaky little vampire.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Danielle dropped her towel and changed into the lingerie. It was nothing too scandalous, which she was glad for – it was a simple, lacy chemise that covered all the important parts, but was tight enough and low cut enough to still be alluring. Danielle felt her nerves increase tenfold once it was on and went back into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. She looked at herself in the mirror, fussing with her damp hair and wondering if she should have left some makeup on, feeling herself begin to doubt whether she should even wear the lingerie in front of Jasper. Would he even _like_ it? Or would he think it was silly?

A knock on the door made her look that way. "Darlin'?" Jasper asked. "Are you alright?"

Maybe he had been able to feel her nerves. He sounded a little concerned. "Yes," she said back. "Fine."

She looked at herself in the mirror one more time, then told the doubtful voice in the back of her mind to shut up and turned to the door. After sucking in a deep breath, she grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. Jasper stood right on the other side, still wearing his clothes from the plane, his brows creased with worry. When he _saw_ her, however, his expression quickly shifted. His eyes dropped down to the lingerie and widened, his jaw slackening for a moment before he closed his lips tightly and gulped. His gaze traveling back up, lingering longer in a few select areas, before meeting hers again. The way his eyes darkened let her know that he _liked_ what he saw.

Feeling bolstered by his reaction, Danielle felt her anxieties melt away. She smiled and stepped closer. His hands automatically went to her waist, while hers rested on his strong, solid chest. She leaned her forehead against his sternum for a moment, just breathing in that piney scent that she loved so much, letting it invade her senses and comfort her. She lifted her head when his knuckle found its way under her chin, gently encouraging her to look up at him.

He pressed his forehead to hers again, his eyes sliding closed for a moment. When he opened them, that same desire she had seen was still there, shining clear as day. "Are you nervous?"

She _had_ been nervous. When they had talked about it in the past, when she had thought about it in the shower just now. But suddenly now, being in his arms, that nervousness was gone. And she _didn't_ think it was because he had _made_ it go away. "No," she said, shaking her head. "Are you?"

"A little," he admitted honestly.

Danielle smiled understandingly, then slid her arms around his neck. "I trust you, Jazz. I _love_ you. We can do this," she said. "We'll just…go slow, okay?"

Jasper nodded. "Slow," he echoed.

He finally leaned in to kiss her, his lips gentle and soft on hers at first, before they began to kiss each other with more urgency. He only pulled his mouth from hers so that he could scoop her up and carry her to the bed, where he gently laid her down before slowly moving to lie down on top of her. He looked down at her for a moment, his fingers gentle as they traced her cheek. Then they were kissing again, the rest of the world fading to the background as they became lost in one another.

They went slow, just as they said they would. They undressed one another unhurriedly, explored one another without hastiness. Danielle had thought she would be embarrassed when Jasper finally saw her – _all_ of her – but even once their clothes were scattered across the floor, once their hands were caressing bare skin, the embarrassment never came. The love she could feel from him, the desire that kept washing over her as strongly and as constantly as the waves of the ocean outside their bedroom, the way he _looked_ at her like she was the most remarkable thing he had ever _seen_ effectively chased away any insecurities she might have had. She was his, and he was _hers_ , and there was nothing to be afraid of, nor embarrassed about.

They took their time to learn each other, discovering through explorative kisses and caressing hands what made the other sigh, or gasp, or _tremble_. Their desire for each other peaked to feverish heights, until they could no longer hold back. Danielle ached for Jasper, felt this sort of desperation to be joined with him that she had never felt so strongly before. And she knew he felt it, too, knew he needed her as badly as she needed him.

When they were finally joined, when they were finally _one_ , they both had to take a moment. There was pain for Danielle, but she had known there would be. Jasper stilled above her, his eyes closed tightly, giving her time to adjust and, she suspected, giving _himself_ time to adjust. The pain eventually began to subside, but Jasper was still frozen above her, his face still a mask of concentration. Danielle gently touched his face and leaned up to press a gentle kiss to his lips. He opened his eyes, which were midnight black now.

"Are…are you…?" he asked, his voice husky and strained.

"I'm okay," she whispered, nodding her head. " _You're_ okay."

Jasper exhaled, then leaned down to kiss her. Finally, they began to move, and as soon as she felt the new, delicious feelings he was creating in her body, she had to gasp with pleasure. Jasper froze again, clearly mistaking her pleasure for pain, his eyebrows furrowing with concern. But she urged him to keep moving, telling him with her kisses and her touches that she was fine. That she wanted him. That she _needed him_.

They made love slowly at first, carefully. But as their pleasure grew and Jasper's confidence began to spike, a new sort of urgency began to take over. They moved faster, with more purpose, their passion for one another burning hotter and brighter with every moment. Their lips began to kiss with wild abandon, their hands clutching tightly to another as they moved in desperation toward that final precipice. Distantly Danielle thought she heard something being ripped, but she was so far gone she didn't pay it any mind. Her mind was clouded with desire for the vampire making love to her, her only coherent thought being to keep making love to Jasper, keep touching him and kissing him and moving with him. But it wasn't just _her_ desire she felt – Jasper was not even attempting to keep a reign on his powers, and she could feel every single ounce of his want for her, of his _need_ for her. The undiluted lust and hunger that swamped her made her head swim, made her feel like she would catch on fire right then and there.

Finally, they reached that sweet moment of completion. They clung to one another afterward, trembling and gasping, neither wanting to separate from the other just yet. Eventually Jasper recovered enough to kiss her, whispering over and over again how much he loved her, before moving to lie on his back and gathering her up in his arms, his lips pressing kisses to her temple, her hair, her cheeks – anything he could reach without actually having to move to do so.

They lay in comfortable silence for a while. Danielle rested her head on his chest, too sated, too _content_ to lift even a finger. Jasper lay with one arm behind his head, the other wrapped securely around her. She could feel his fingertips drawing lazy patterns against her skin.

"How do you feel?" he asked, his voice echoing beneath her ear.

Danielle finally found it in herself to lift her head and smile at him. There was concern in his eyes, but there was also happiness and satisfaction. "Amazing," she said with a dreamy smile. The concern, small as it had been, immediately melted away from his eyes. "How do _you_ feel?"

Jasper smiled, his hand finding its way into her red curls. He leaned down to kiss her languidly, before pulling back to rest his forehead against hers. As nervous as he had seemed earlier, there wasn't any sign of it now. "Never better."

Happiness bloomed in her chest, though whether it was hers or his, she couldn't really say anymore. She rested her head on his chest again and snuggled closer, loving the way his bare body felt pressed against her own. Exhaustion was creeping in fast, encouraged even more by the comfort and satisfaction she felt after making love with Jasper.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" Jasper suggested quietly as he sensed her tiredness, his lips ghosting over her hair again. "I'll be right here with you."

Danielle nodded, then lifted her head one more time to kiss him goodnight. "I love you, Jazz," she murmured against his lips.

Jasper smiled contentedly and kissed her back. "I love you, too, darlin'."

Danielle returned her head to the spot on his chest, her body feeling heavier as she relaxed against him. And with a smile on her face and happiness in her heart, she soon drifted off to sleep in the protective arms of her husband.

* * *

 **SQUEEEE. I sincerely hope you guys enjoyed it!**

 **Next chapter – honeymoon adventures with Jasper and Danielle! Sunburns and dancing and sappiness galore!**


	26. Chapter Twenty-five

**Apologies for the wait, everyone! I just couldn't seem to make this chapter happen for a while. Thankfully, my muse decided to come back! Thank you for your patience, thank you to everyone who had added this story to their alert/favorite list, and thank you to everyone who took the time to leave feedback! I really appreciate it!**

 **Disclaimer** **: I own nothing related to the Twilight franchise, only the OC's.**

* * *

 _Chapter Six_

Danielle woke to warm sunlight on her face and the sound of ocean waves crashing against the shore just outside the window. She kept her eyes closed against the morning sunlight, sighing quietly to herself as awareness slowly returned to her mind, then turned onto her other side to snuggle closer to Jasper. Upon reaching for him and only finding an empty space next to her, however, she frowned and finally opened her eyes.

Jasper wasn't in bed, but there _was_ a beautiful tropical flower laying on the pillow he had occupied the night before. Danielle smiled, propped herself up on her elbow, then reached for the flower to smell it, inhaling the sweet aroma. It was then that she noticed something _else_ about the bed that had her tilting her head to the side curiously. There was a sizable tear in the sheets – in fact, the mattress topper underneath was torn, too, and there was even a rip in the mattress _itself_.

Danielle touched the mangled fabric with confusion, until memories from the night before rushed back. She could vaguely recall hearing something being ripped while she and Jasper had been making love, though she had been too caught up in the heat of the moment to know the cause of it. But _now_ she knew, and the thought that Jasper had been so beside himself that he had literally _ripped the bed_ was enough to make her grin and giggle into her pillow, before she turned onto her back with a happy sigh.

Now that she was thinking about last night, she couldn't _stop_ thinking about it. The way Jasper had kissed her, the way he had _touched_ her, how amazing it had felt to be joined with him as intimately as possible…the memories of it all sent a rush of heat through her and made her heart start to beat faster. Danielle had always expected that when the time came for them to take that final step together that it would be good. But making love with Jasper had _far_ surpassed her expectations. It hadn't been just _good_ – it had been _incredible._ She couldn't wait to be with Jasper again, to feel his hands and his lips on her, to love him and touch him in return and get lost in that exquisite pleasure that only _he_ could give her.

But if she wanted to do any of that, she had to know where Jasper _was_ first.

With that thought in mind, Danielle threw off the covers and got out of bed. She noticed as she stood up that there was a slight ache between her legs from the previous night's activities, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle, nor anything she hadn't been expecting. Danielle opted to put on the button down shirt that Jasper had worn the previous day, which swamped her once she had it on and the buttons fastened. Then she pulled her hair into a knot on the top of her head and left the bedroom to find her husband.

As soon as she stepped foot outside the bedroom, she was greeted with the smell of cooking food and the sound of Jasper's favorite band from back in the day. Smiling, she tiptoed toward the kitchen to try to sneak up on him, even though she knew it would be a futile attempt – with his vampire hearing, he had probably heard her coming as soon as she had gotten out of bed.

When Danielle reached the kitchen, she leaned against the doorway and smiled broadly to herself, her heart instantly warming when she saw what Jasper was doing. He had his back to her as he stood in front of the stove, dressed in the most casual attire she had ever seen him wear – a white t-shirt and blue colored swim trunks – and he was humming along with the song that was playing as he made what looked like an omelet.

Good _lord_ , he was adorable. Just when she thought he couldn't get anymore perfect, just when she thought she couldn't _possibly_ love him anymore than she already did, he went a did something like _this_ and made her fall in love with him all over again.

"Are you planning to stand there and stare at me all day?" he asked to break the silence, his voice tinged with amusement.

Danielle smirked as she gave him a once over, her eyes lingering on his rear end. "Maybe. You _do_ have a pretty cute tuckus," she remarked.

Jasper just shook his head and chuckled to himself. Danielle couldn't stay away from him any longer and went to wrap her arms around him instead, stepping in close so that her front was pressed firmly against his back.

"Did you just refer to my butt as a _tuckus_?" Jasper asked, peering down at her over his shoulder with a smirk and a quirked brow.

To hear Jasper, who always spoke so properly, say the word _tuckus_ made her giggle into his shoulder. "I did," Danielle confirmed, before peeking around him to see how the omelet was coming along. "Look at _you_. You're a regular Gordon Ramsay…minus all the yelling and cursing," she said with a smile.

"I've been practicing with Esme," Jasper admitted. He then frowned and poked at the omelet with the spatula in his hand. "Does it look alright?"

"It looks wonderful," she reassured. Jasper smiled, looking quite proud of himself. "Speaking of Esme," Danielle continued as she remembered the state of the bed, "we owe her and Carlisle a new mattress."

If Jasper had been capable of blushing, she had a feeling he would have done so now. "Yes, I…got a little carried away," he said with a slightly sheepish smile.

Danielle pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "I'm not complaining," she assured him. "Though I hope this doesn't get back to Emmett. He'd _never_ let us hear the end of it," she added with a roll of her eyes.

"We'll keep it on a need to know basis. And Emmett most certainly does _not_ need to know," Jasper said with a firm nod.

"Agreed."

Jasper turned off the burner as he finished cooking the omelet. "Will you grab a plate? They are in that cabinet," he said, nodding his head toward the cabinet above the dishwasher.

Danielle nodded, but didn't move just yet. "Only if you give me a good morning kiss, first," she compromised.

Jasper smirked, set down his spatula, then turned to face her fully. He smiled down at her for a moment, his hands resting on either side of her neck. Finally he leaned down to kiss her, and as soon as his lips were on hers, the heat that had been simmering in her belly since she had woken up immediately began to grow into a full on fire. Danielle couldn't hold back a little moan, pressing closer to him as she wrapped her arms around him. Jasper made a sound deep in his throat, his hands sliding down her back until they settled low on her hips.

He pulled his lips away to press his forehead against hers. "Good morning, darlin'," he said with a small smirk.

"Good morning, hubby," she said back.

Jasper started to say something else, but the words died on his lips. He seemed to have finally noticed what she was wearing, which made him pull back far enough to be able to look her up and down. When his eyes met hers again, they were a little darker than they had been previously.

"First and foremost, you look _far_ too good in my clothing," he said appreciatively. "More importantly…are you wearing anything _underneath_ that shirt?" he asked, one brow slowly inching upward.

Danielle grinned and traced a circle on his sternum with her finger. " _Nope_."

Jasper growled low in his chest and pulled her flush to his chest, his eyes turning black now as they filled with desire. "Are you _trying_ to test my restraint?" he drawled, voice huskier than normal.

Danielle gulped, her knees feeling weak all of a sudden. "And why, exactly, are you restraining yourself?" she questioned.

"Because you need to eat the breakfast I just made you. And because the _gentlemanly_ thing to do would be to keep my hands to myself and give you time to recover from last night," Jasper said. He moved his lips to her ear, pressing a kiss to the space just behind her jaw. "That is very hard to do, however, when all I can think about is ripping that shirt off and having my wicked way with you."

She was pretty sure her heart was beating fast enough to explode out of her chest. "Well, while I appreciate you for the southern gentleman you are, I feel _fine,"_ she insisted. " _More_ than fine, actually. So…care to elaborate on the whole _having your wicked way_ thing?"

Jasper pulled back to look at her, then leaned in to give her another toe-curling. Instead of taking things further, however, he sighed and pulled away from her altogether, which made her frown with disappointment. "I will happily elaborate on that… _later._ For now, you need to eat," he said, moving to the cabinet to grab a plate. "I would be an abominable husband if I deprived you of your meals because I cannot control myself."

Danielle sighed with resignation. Clearly Jasper was not going to give in to her charms just yet. "If you insist."

"I do."

She started to take a seat at the dining room table, but changed her mind when she looked to the window and spotted furniture out on the back patio. While Jasper plated her food, Danielle went to the double doors that led outside, pushed them open, and stepped out onto the patio. A smile immediately spread across her face as she took in the beautiful scenery, able to really admire everything now that she was seeing it in the daytime. There were palm trees and tropical foliage swaying all around the house, giving off a heavenly scent that made her close her eyes and inhale appreciatively. When she opened her eyes again, she noticed a little stairway that led down from the patio to the beach, which wasn't far away. Danielle then looked to the water, smiling when she realized that all she could see was nothing but beautiful, clear blue water as far as the eye could see.

It was official – Isle Esme was _breathtaking_.

"Lovely view, isn't it?" Jasper asked as he joined her.

She glanced over at him, noticing straight away that he was sparkling underneath the morning sun. He was completely unbothered by it, too, since they were alone and there was no risk of anyone seeing him. It brought another smile to her face and made her feel happy that Jasper was in an environment where he could truly be himself

She had to force herself to stop ogling him. " _Lovely_ doesn't do it justice," Danielle replied with a smile. "Why do Carlisle and Esme stay in the doom and gloom of Forks when they have _this_ place to disappear to? If I were them, I'd _never_ leave this island."

Jasper shrugged a shoulder. "There have been plenty off times over the years where they have stayed here for months at a time," he said. "But they like being around people, and they prefer not to be separated from the rest of the family for too long a time. Plus, Carlisle loves his job too much to give it all up for the island life."

Danielle nodded in understanding. "Makes sense."

Jasper handed her the plate of food he had brought, then led her to a cushiony couch that faced the water. Danielle sat down, tucking her legs underneath her, and Jasper quickly joined her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer, so that she was snuggled into his side.

The first bite she took had her making a sound of appreciation. "Wow. The practice really paid off," she said.

"It tastes good?" Jasper asked, sounding a little self-conscious.

"It's _delicious_ ," she corrected, before leaning in to press a sweet kiss to his cheek. "Thanks, honey."

"You are very welcome," he said with a grin.

They sat in comfortable silence while she ate a few more bites. It wasn't until she had begun eating that she had realized how hungry she actually was. Maybe it had been a good idea to eat, after all – a stomach growling for food during intimate moments _wasn't_ very sexy.

"So what's on the agenda?" Danielle asked, raising her brows questioningly. "How are we gonna spend our two weeks in paradise?"

"Well, I expect there will be a lot of swimming," Jasper started. "We can take the boat out, go snorkeling, explore the island," he listed off. "I also thought that it would be nice to venture back to the mainland at night. There is a lot to do in Rio that I think you would enjoy."

"All of that sounds great. I'm game for everything," Danielle said with a nod. "But just so you know, I'm definitely not opposed to just hiding away in the house with you," she added. "If there are days where you just wanna be lazy and lay in bed naked all day, I'm _totally_ down for that, too."

Jasper smirked and quirked an amused eyebrow. "Is being naked a requirement?" he teased.

Danielle pretended to think about it, then grinned wickedly. "Yes."

Jasper chuckled, his eyes gleaming playfully as he pulled her even closer. "Well, who am I to deny what my wife wants?" he asked, though if she wasn't mistaken, he seemed to rather _like_ the idea of being naked with her all day.

"Happy wife, happy life," Danielle quipped, before winking at him and taking another bite of food.

Jasper smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple. There was a beat of silence, then he rubbed her shoulder and sighed quietly, which made her look up at him again. The easy smile that had been on his face had melted into a small frown of uncertainty, which had her own eyebrows pinching together. He seemed worried, though she wasn't sure she could say she knew why.

"What's on your mind?" she asked.

Jasper looked down at her, his eyes still filled with concern. "I know you said that you feel fine, but…do you _really_?" he asked, sounding almost _afraid_ to hear the answer. "I did not… _hurt_ you last night?"

Danielle gave him a gentle smile. "Did you hear me _complaining_ at any point, Jazz?" she asked.

Jasper pressed his lips together. "Well, no. But – "

"No _but's_ ," Danielle interrupted. "If something was wrong, I would tell you. But there's nothing to tell, because last night was _perfect_. Making love with you was everything I hoped for and more, and it's something I would like to do again. And again…and _again_ ," she added with a laugh, which finally made Jasper give her a small, lopsided smile. Danielle lifted one hand from her plate to brush her knuckles over his cheek, smiling when he immediately leaned into her touch. "Don't worry, Jazz. We've got this. I trust you. And I _love_ you."

Jasper relaxed completely at those words. "I love you, too."

He leaned down to give her a sweet kiss, his lips lingering on hers for a long few moments. When he finally pulled away, he opened his mouth to say something else, but then he paused and looked to the house, his head cocking to the side a little. Danielle had seen him do this enough times to know that he had heard something her human ears could not detect.

"Your phone is ringing," he said.

Danielle waved a dismissive hand. "Let it go to voicemail. I don't wanna talk to anyone but you."

Jasper gave her a pointed look. "It could be your mother," he said. "You were supposed to check in with her when we arrived, but you didn't," he then reminded.

Danielle groaned and smacked her forehead. He was right – she had _completely_ forgotten to let Lynne know that they had made it to their final destination. And knowing her mother and how protective she was, _especially_ so after what had happened in Phoenix, the woman was probably beside herself with worry by now.

"Can you grab it before it stops ringing?"

Jasper nodded, then was gone in the blink of an eye. He returned precisely two seconds later with her phone in hand. Sure enough, it was her mother calling. Danielle set her plate off to the side and quickly answered before it could go to voicemail.

"I'm sorry!" she said upon answering. "I'm a _horrible_ daughter for not checking in!"

Lynne made a sound of relief. "Well, at least I know your plane didn't crash into some _mountain_ somewhere," she said, though she didn't sound nearly as panicked as Danielle might have expected. "And you're _not_ a horrible daughter," she continued. "It was your first night with your new husband. I would have been _more_ surprised if you had actually remembered to call."

"So you're not mad?" Danielle asked hopefully.

"Of course not!"

Danielle relaxed with relief. "Good." Jasper sat down next to her again, which had Danielle automatically leaning against him. "By the way, why are you up so early?" she asked when she remembered that it couldn't have even been six in the morning back in Forks.

"You know me. I get paranoid and then I don't sleep well," Lynne said, which made Danielle feel guilty for not checking in sooner. "It's alright, though. I'll sleep like a baby now that I know you and Jasper are okay," Lynne said reassuringly, as if she could sense her guilt through the phone. "So how was the flight in?" she asked to change the subject. "How's the place you're staying at? Give me details!"

While Lynne knew they were staying on an island off the mainland of Brazil, Danielle had neglected to tell her that the island was owned by the Cullen's. Her mother was fully aware of the fact that Carlisle and Esme had money, of course, but Danielle had thought it would raise too many questions as to how exactly Carlisle and Esme were wealthy enough to own an entire _island_ , so it had seemed better not to mention it at all.

"The flight was fine. _Long_ , but not too bad. The place we're staying at is _gorgeous_ , though," Danielle said. "The house is huge and beautiful, and we've even got our own private beach."

"That sounds wonderful," Lynne said. "Make sure you take pictures so I can see everything."

"I will," Danielle promised.

"What do y'all have planned for today then?" Lynne asked next.

"Not sure yet," Danielle answered, becoming momentarily distracted when Jasper rested his hand comfortably on her exposed knee. "Probably just gonna be lazy on the beach and soak up some rays."

"That sounds lovely," Lynne said, and Danielle could hear the smile in her words. "Well, I don't want to keep you on the phone and interrupt your honeymoon. I just wanted to make sure you both were okay," Lynne said. "I'll let you get back to your vacation with your wonderful new husband now."

"Thanks, mom," Danielle said with a smile. "And thanks for checking in."

"Of course." Lynne paused, then spoke again. "Before I go, though…how did everything go last night?" she asked, her tone similar to that of a teenager looking for juicy gossip.

Danielle, knowing exactly what she was asking about, blushed furiously. " _Mom._ I am _so_ not discussing that with you," she said firmly.

Jasper chuckled, which she ignored, while Lynne scoffed on her end of the line. "Oh, come on. You can tell me! I'm your _mother_."

"Exactly – you're my _mother._ And as my mother, there are some things you _don't_ need to know about," Danielle countered swiftly.

"Oh, fine," Lynne sighed, before muttering something that sounded suspiciously like the word _prude._

Danielle rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna go now, but I'll check in again soon, okay?"

"Okay," Lynne said. "Have fun. Give Jasper my love."

"Will do," Danielle promised. "I love you, mom."

"I love you, too, sweetie," Lynne said with affection.

They said goodbye after that, and as soon as she hung up, Danielle gave Jasper a look that had him chuckling again. "That woman is _too much_ sometimes," she said, shaking her head as she put her phone aside and picked up her plate again to resume eating. "She's such a nosy Nancy."

"Reminds me a little of someone _else_ I know," Jasper commented.

Danielle gasped, affronted at the comparison. "I'm not _nosy_ ," she said defensively. When Jasper just looked at her, she heaved and rolled her eyes. "Okay. Maybe I am _sometimes_ ," she reluctantly admitted. "But only when the occasion calls for it!"

"Yes, of course," Jasper agreed, though the tone he used and the glint in his eye let her know he was still teasing her.

Danielle looked at him, then calmly set her plate back down. "Alright then. That does it."

Before he could ask her what she meant by that, she launched herself at him, catching him by surprise as she straddled his lap. She started tickling his sides, and though Jasper was laughing now, she was pretty sure he was laughing at _her_ , not because she was actually succeeding at tickling him.

"Apologize for calling me nosy!" she demanded, redoubling her efforts to tickle him.

Jasper fended her off her attacks easily. "Is this supposed to be affecting me?" he taunted with a quite of his brow.

Danielle gave up and threw her hands into the air with defeat. "What, vampires aren't _ticklish_?" she asked with exasperation.

"Not _this_ vampire," Jasper said with a shake of his head.

Danielle pouted for a moment, then smiled suggestively as another idea came to mind. She slowly slid her arms around his neck and pressed herself closer, using their position to her advantage. His hands immediately came to rest on her waist, his eyes widening a tiny bit as she shifted on his lap.

"If you apologize for calling me nosy, I won't make you sleep on the couch tonight," she said, dropping her voice to something she hoped sounded seductive.

Jasper's grip on her hips tightened. "Not much of a threat, seeing as I don't sleep," he murmured back, his voice going husky again.

Danielle lifted a brow, then leaned close enough to brush her lips against his, her teeth catching his bottom lip briefly. He moaned in response. "Then I'll just have to withhold something _else_ , won't I?" she asked.

 _That_ particular threat did the trick, because Jasper immediately looked alarmed. "Danielle Katherine Whitlock Hale, love of my life and center of my universe, please accept my most _sincere_ apology for calling you nosy," he said seriously. He lifted one hand from her hip to place it over his heart. "I will never commit such a travesty again. This I solemnly vow."

Danielle couldn't stop herself from snorting in amusement at his overly dramatic apology. "Alright, alright. Apology accepted," she said with a laugh. "Geez, what's next? You gonna start reciting freaking _Shakespeare_ or something?" she teased.

Jasper's answer _wasn't_ to recite Shakespeare. His answer was to growl, wrap a hand around the back of her neck, and draw her in for a heated kiss. For a few moments she forgot which way was up and which way was down as he kissed the absolute life out of her. When he finally pulled away, she smiled dreamily.

"Now you're _definitely_ forgiven," Danielle confirmed, slowly nodding her head.

Jasper smirked and captured her lips again, sighing when her fingers threaded into his hair. After a moment she gently pulled away, giving him a playful smile as she disentangled herself from his arms and stood up. Jasper peered up at her, his brows furrowed with confusion but his eyes darkened with lust.

"I think I'm ready for a swim," she said, slowly stepping back away from him.

Jasper tilted his head. "Now?"

Danielle nodded, then reached up to begin undoing the buttons of the shirt she wore. Jasper's gaze immediately flickered to her hands, his jaw tightening as he watched her slowly unbutton the shirt. When the last button was undone, Danielle shrugged out of the shirt and let it fall to the ground, leaving her bare in front of him. An almost predatory look overcame his handsome face, which made her shiver with anticipation.

"Care to help me change into my bathing suit?" she invited.

He didn't need to be asked twice. The moment the words left her lips, he was on his feet and scooping her up, his mouth locking on hers in a searing kiss. Then he was whisking her back inside and back to the bedroom.

They did not go swimming for quite some time.

* * *

"This is _such_ a bad idea," Danielle said, her voice full of apprehension.

Jasper gave her shoulders a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "It will be _fine_ , darlin'. You can do this."

Danielle gnawed on the inside of her cheek, unconvinced despite his confidence. It was their third day on Isle Esme, and after spending the past few days lazing on the beach and spending quite a bit of time locked away in the bedroom, they had finally decided to go out to a snorkeling spot that Jasper insisted was spectacular. Instead of _Jasper_ piloting the boat, however, he had insisted that Danielle give it a try. She had never done anything like this before, however, and as she eyed the dashboard and all of its unfamiliar gadgets, she felt more than a little anxious.

"I have no idea what I'm doing," she reminded him.

"It's easy," Jasper said with a nod. "I will talk to you through everything."

Danielle gave him a worried look. "Will I be disowned from the family if I wreck the boat?"

Jasper chuckled. "No, darlin'. You will not be disowned," he assured. A distinctly calm feeling overshadowed her nervousness, which she knew for a fact was Jasper's doing. "I'll be right here the whole time, okay?" Danielle sighed and finally nodded. "Good."

He stepped away for a second to untie the boat from the dock and push them out into the water with a firm kick, then he came back to join her at the wheel. "Alright, you're going to turn the engine on and then ease the throttle forward," he said, pointing to throttle. "Be mindful of the waves and try not to turn the boat too fast, otherwise we might find ourselves flipped over."

Danielle gave him a frightened look. "And what do we do if _that_ happens?" she asked meekly.

Jasper squeezed her shoulders again. "I won't let any harm come to you. I swear," he promised.

Danielle nodded, then finally moved to stand in front of wheel. With one hand she gripped the wheel, and with the other she started up the rumbling engine. Gulping nervously, she placed a hand on the throttle, looked out at the open water, and then pushed it forward a little harder than she had meant to. The boat lurched forward faster than she anticipated, which would have been enough to send her stumbling backwards. Jasper was right behind her, however, and he had no trouble keeping her steady.

"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly.

Jasper smiled. "It's alright. Try again."

She tried again, this time a bit slower. The boat began to glide forward, slowly gaining speed, bouncing lightly whenever they went over a wave. After a few minutes passed by and she did not flip or wreck the boat, Danielle began to relax and actually enjoy herself. It was _fun_ , speeding along the water like this and being the one in control of something so fast – now she understood why the Cullen's were so bonkers for fast things. But it was also oddly _relaxin_ g. With nothing but open water around them, it felt like they had the whole ocean to themselves, like they could go speeding off to wherever they desired. She decided very quickly that she _liked_ being behind the wheel of a boat.

"See," Jasper said in her ear over the howl of the wind. "You're a natural."

Danielle just grinned at him over shoulder, then turned forward and pressed harder on the throttle to make the boat go even faster.

Jasper indulged her a little joyride around the island, before he finally began to direct her toward the snorkeling spot he wanted to show her. When they made it to the spot, Jasper dropped anchor and told her to turn the boat off. He then pulled out some snorkeling gear that he had gotten specifically for her, including goggles, a snorkel, and flippers.

"Shouldn't I have a life jacket or something?" she asked, remembering the one time she had gone as a kid while on vacation with her mother and had to wear one.

Jasper smirked. "That's what _I'm_ here for," he assured her.

Danielle nodded, then pulled off the shorts and the tank top she had been wearing over her bathing suit. Jasper eyed her up for a moment, which did _not_ escape her notice, then handed her the gear. She fixed the goggles around her head, letting them rest on her forehead for now, then looked out at the water with a hint of skepticism. She could still see Isle Esme, but they were a good mile or so away from land by now. Though she knew Jasper wouldn't let anything happen to her, the thought of being out in open water that was only God knows _how_ deep made her a little uncomfortable.

"Are there sharks out here?" Danielle asked, giving him a worried look.

Jasper pursed his lips. "Sometimes there are," he said honestly, which made her stiffen. "Relax. Even if one _does_ show up, it will be no match for me."

The mental imagine of Jasper wrestling a shark came to mind, which was both fascinating and horrifying at the same time. She was fairly certain a shark wouldn't be able to hurt Jasper because his skin was impenetrable, but still…on the off chance that the ferocious bite of a Great White _would_ be powerful enough to inflict damage on her vampire husband, she thought it better not to risk it.

"If we see _one_ shark, we're out of here," Danielle said firmly. "I've seen _Jaws_ , you know. Freaked the _hell_ out of me, too. So let's try not to end up like those people, okay?"

Jasper smirked and nodded. "Alright."

After she had wrestled her feet into her flippers and adjusted her snorkel, she fixed her goggles over her eyes and went into the water first. It was immediately refreshing to be enveloped by the cool water of the ocean after being under the hot rays of the sun for so long, and it momentarily made her forget any worries about sharks or deep sea creatures trying to eat her. Danielle floated on the surface for a moment, her feet lazily scissoring back and forth to keep herself in place, then looked at Jasper. He stripped off his shirt, the sparkling of his skin intensifying now that he was showing more of it, then stepped up to the edge of the boat. With one graceful move, he raised his arms over heads and dove in, disappearing beneath the depths.

Danielle quickly flipped over, pressing her goggle-covered face to the water to watch him shoot downward with the speed of a missile. He disappeared for a long few moments, leaving her to wonder just how far down he was actually going, before he finally reappeared and returned to her side with just a few powerful strokes. When he broke the surface, Danielle lifted her face from the water to gawk at him.

"Did you just touch the bottom of the _ocean_?" she asked incredulously.

Jasper smirked as he pushed his wet, blonde hair back away from his face. "I did," he confirmed.

She felt both jealous and excited – jealous over the incredible things he was able to do, but excited because she knew that someday in the future _she_ would be able to do the same things. "After I'm a vampire, we are _so_ coming back here so that I can do that, too," she said, leaving no room for argument.

Jasper chuckled and nodded. "Deal."

It was time to go to the snorkeling spot now, which Jasper told her was only a short swim away. They swam over, Jasper making sure to keep his pace slower so that he was by Danielle's side, and after a few short minutes they reached the reef, which was about thirty to forty feet below the surface of the water. As soon as the reef came into view, Danielle's eyes widened with amazement.

The first thing that caught her attention was all the _color_ – pink, green, purple, orange, blue. The reef was _exploding_ with beautiful colors everywhere she looked. The next thing she saw was that the reef was teeming with life, filled with fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors, as well as urchins and sponges and plant-life. She smiled around her snorkel when she spotted some turtles lazily swimming around a large rock structure, then watched in fascination as a school of shiny fish swam past, before abruptly turning as one and going in another direction. It was amazing and it was _beautiful_ , and she was instantly glad that they had come.

A tap on her shoulder made her look at Jasper, who motioned for her to surface, which she did.

"What do you think?" he asked eagerly.

"Oh my _god_ ," she said once she had taken the snorkel out of her mouth. "This is _beautiful_."

Jasper grinned as he treaded water. "Want a closer look?" he asked. Danielle nodded vigorously. He pulled her closer and urged her to wrap her arms around his neck, as if he was going to give her a piggy back ride. "Hold on tight. Tap me when you need air," he instructed.

She held onto him as he dove back under, the two of them gliding easily downward with his powerful strokes. Once they were closer, she could see starfish and seahorses and spiked sea-urchins. Jasper swam slowly around the reef so that she could take it in, making fish scatter and quickly swim away as they approached. Danielle could not resist reaching out to touch some of the plant-life with her fingertips, feeling its silky and slimy leaves as they swayed lazily with the current. Finally she tapped Jasper's shoulder and he immediately tuned upward to go back to the surface. Once they were above water again, she kept an arm around his neck so that he could keep her afloat, moving her goggles up and taking her snorkel out of her mouth again.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything so amazing," she asked with awe. "I went snorkeling with my mom in Florida once, but this blows that place out of the _water_!"

Jasper grinned, looking pleased. "I'm glad you like it."

Danielle smiled and kissed him, tasting salt water on his lips as she did so. "Thanks for bringing me out here…now let's keep looking around!"

Jasper nodded and held her steady as she started to fix her goggles over her eyes again. She froze, however, when she noticed something over his shoulder.

A distinct looking fin had broken the surface of the water about thirty yards away, which made her whole body stiffen. As it disappeared beneath the surface, she clutched to him tighter, fear washing through at the possibility of a shark being nearby. "Jasper, I saw a fin," she said worriedly.

Jasper frowned and glanced over his shoulder searchingly. "Where?"

She pointed in the direction she had seen it, but it had not yet resurfaced. Jasper ducked his head beneath the water for a moment to, seemingly, look for what she had seen. When he lifted his head again, he gave her a smile. "It's alright, darlin'," he said reassuringly. "It's not what you think."

Before she could ask what he had seen, something large and grey broke the surface about ten feet away, making her shriek with fright and hold Jasper even tighter. The creature leaped out of the water and soared through the air for a moment, before landing back in the ocean with a splash. Finally, Danielle realized what it was, and immediately she relaxed.

"A dolphin!" she exclaimed, giving Jasper a wide, excited smile.

"Not just one," he corrected.

Sure enough, more dolphins began to leap through the air not far from them, landing with splashes as they returned to the water. Danielle couldn't hold back a laugh of glee, watching with amazement as a pod of at least seven dolphins continued to dive in an out of the water around them, as if they had come to specifically put on a show just for them. It was the only time she'd seen a dolphin with her own eyes, and to have so many of them so close was an unexpected treat.

"Can we get closer?" she asked hopefully.

Jasper shrugged. "We can try."

She put her goggles back on, and then she and Jasper began to swim closer to where the dolphins were. Danielle supposed it was not too surprising when most of the dolphins kept their distance as they came closer, seeing as they were unfamiliar to the pod and Jasper was, technically, a predator, which the intelligent animals seemed to be able to sense. But a few brave dolphins swam closer, circling around them a few times, until eventually one of them came near enough for Danielle to reach out and touch, her fingers sliding along its silken skin.

The dolphins seemed to decide that they were trustworthy after that and swam around them for quite some time, much to her delight. Danielle didn't really know how long she and Jasper stayed out there for, alternating between swimming with their new dolphin friends and exploring the reef further, but eventually the time came where the dolphins departed and where Danielle felt utterly exhausted from swimming for so long. She and Jasper decided to wrap things up and headed back to the boat, and after making Jasper promise to bring her back for some more snorkeling before their honeymoon was over, they pulled up anchor and went back to the island.

Back at the house, Danielle had a quick lunch and then went to take a shower and get freshened up. As she started to peel off her bathing suit, she noticed that her skin had started to feel rather warm and that some parts of her were definitely looking a little pink. Being the melanin-challenged redhead that she was, it was _very_ easy to get sunburned. And while she had been diligent about putting on sunblock whenever they went outside, they had been at the snorkeling spot for much longer than she had anticipated and she had not reapplied like she should of. Danielle stepped into the shower, knowing her sunburns always reared their ugly faces post shower, hoping in vain that her burn wasn't going to be as bad as she feared it would. But once she had finished showering and stepped in front of the bathroom mirror to inspect herself again, she cringed at her reflection.

She was as red as a tomato.

Burned from nearly head to toe and looking like a long lost relative to Sebastian from the _Little Mermaid_ , she wrapped a towel loosely around her body, doing her best not to let it touch too much of her skin. Jasper was in the bedroom rifling through the suitcase when she stepped out of the bathroom, and the moment he saw her, his brows furrowed with sympathy.

"Oh, darlin'," he said, taking a step closer. "I should have made you reapply while we were out there."

Danielle held up a hand to stop him from coming any closer. "Don't touch," she warned, wincing as the fabric of her bath towel rubbed against her a little too hard. "My skin hurts so bad, just you _looking_ at me hurts."

Jasper clicked his tongue. "What can I do?"

"Get me some new skin?" she asked with defeat. "Or maybe stuff me in the freezer?"

Jasper sighed, but then straightened up when he seemed to think of something. "Hold on, I think I have something that will help."

He went back to the suitcase to rummage through it again, before finally producing a small bottle of aloe vera. Danielle smiled, relieved to see the magical lotion, then raised her brows knowingly.

"Alice warned you I'd get burned?" she asked.

"Actually, it was your _mother_ ," he admitted as he walked toward her. "She gave this to me before we left, said you would probably need it. It would seem she was correct."

"God bless that woman," Danielle said, glad that _someone_ had planned ahead. "Remind me to get her something nice before we leave."

"Will do," Jasper said with a smile.

When he motioned for her to take off her towel, it became clear that he intended to put the aloe vera on for her. Danielle dropped the towel, and though she was positive she looked completely ridiculous with her red skin and atrocious sunburn lines, when he started to gently rub the aloe into her skin she forgot to feel self-conscious about it. Between the aloe and Jasper's cold hands, the relief was instantaneous. Danielle sighed contentedly as he massaged the lotion onto her back, her eyes sliding closed blissfully, before she laughed with surprise when his hands passed boldly over her rear end.

"I'm not burned _there,"_ she said, giving him a look over her shoulder.

Jasper gave her a cheeky grin. "Just making sure."

He resumed his task, rubbing aloe into her arms and legs, and then moving to her front. When he started rubbing aloe onto her upper chest, she became acutely aware of how close his hands were getting to her breasts. He merely gave her a quick look, however, and then respectfully skipped over them to rub the lotion onto her stomach instead.

Danielle sighed again as the combination of the lotion and his cold hands chased away the heat from her burn. "You have _no_ idea how good this feels," she said.

"The aloe is working?" Jasper asked.

"I think your _hands_ are doing a better job, actually," she said. "Them being so cold really does _wonders_ for a sunburn."

Jasper hummed at that, then put the aloe away as he finished putting it on her. "In that case, I think I have another idea," he said.

He started stripping off his clothes, and though seeing him naked would have normally had her heart racing and dragging him to bed, the move elicited quite a different reaction now. "Babe. I love you. But I'm not really in the mood right now," Danielle told him gently.

Jasper gave her a look. "That's not what I am trying to do," he said patiently. He then stepped closer and extended a hand to her. "Just let me just try something. Alright?"

Danielle thought about it for a moment, then finally nodded. After she slipped her hand into his, he guided her to the bed. He sat down first, leaning back against the headboard, then pulled her down to sit on his lap. Danielle figured out what he had in mind very quickly. As her body molded to his and he wrapped his arms around her, the chill of his body enveloped her and helped ease her burn even further. She relaxed against him fully, resting her back against his chest and laying her head on his shoulder.

"You're a genius. Have I ever told you that?" she asked, turning her head to press her hot face against his chest and sighing as her cheek instantly began to cool.

"Just trying to help you feel more comfortable," Jasper said, being careful not to hold her too tightly.

" _And_ seizing the opportunity for naked cuddling," she added with a smirk.

Jasper chuckled. "That too."

She was definitely starting to feel better thanks to Jasper's caretaking. If his remedy for sunburns was to massage nearly every inch of her body and then cuddle with her completely naked, then maybe getting a sunburn from time to time wouldn't be so bad after all.

"I think you should stay out of the sun for a few days," Jasper advised, pressing a gentle kiss to her red shoulder.

"Yeah, probably," she agreed. "Guess now's as good a time as any for those naked lazy days we were talking about," she added, smiling to herself as she closed her eyes and let her fingers trace delicate patterns on his arm.

Jasper chuckled. "I won't be opposed to that," he said, letting his chin rest on her shoulder. "But I am afraid I won't be able to participate in naked day tomorrow."

Danielle frowned and looked at him over her shoulder. "Why not?"

"I need to hunt, so I'm going to go to the mainland tomorrow," Jasper revealed. "With us being more intimate now, I don't want to risk anything. Better I hunt a little more frequently to keep my hunger under control," he explained.

"Can't you just hunt on the island?" Danielle asked, not really liking the thought of him leaving her all alone.

" _No_ ," Jasper answered sharply, which made her blink in surprise. "That would put you at serious risk, and I refuse to do that," he said, his tone a bit more gentle now. He kissed her temple, his arms tightening around her a fraction. "I will only be away for the day. You will hardly even notice I'm gone."

Considering they had been stuck to one another like glue since the moment they had arrived, she was _definitely_ going to notice his absence. But she understood why he needed to go, and she wasn't going to stand in the way of him tending to his needs. "Alright," she agreed. "But you better be back by bedtime tomorrow. Okay?"

Jasper turned her face toward his, his lips pulled into a smirk. "I will, Mrs. Hale. You have my word."

And then he leaned down to seal the promise with a kiss.

* * *

Jasper left before the sun rose the next morning, waking her long enough to give her a kiss goodbye and promise, once again, to be back by bedtime. It was a very uneventful day after that.

With Jasper gone and little to do for entertainment, Danielle spent most of the day lounging on the couch, grazing on snacks and delving into the movie collection she had found. She watched _Casablanca_ first, then _Roman Holiday_ , then, finally, _Dirty Dancing_ , which just so happened to be one of her favorite movies. She sighed as she watched the love story of Baby and Johnny unfold, laughing when they practiced their lift in the water, shedding a tear or two whenever it looked like things wouldn't work out, and then feeling so happy that she had to get up and dance around the living room whenever the two found their way back together at the end. Truthfully, the movie was pretty _cheesy,_ but she loved it so much that she simply didn't care. It was a classic that always made her happy to watch and always left her wanting to dance. It made her wonder if she could convince Jasper to dance like that with her. Because he was wonderful and obliging, he would probably give it a try – because he wasn't comfortable with anything other than fancy waltzes and sweet slow dances, she had a feeling he would look _ridiculous_ trying to dance dirty.

The thought just made her want to do it all the more.

After the movie was finished, she decided she'd watched enough television for one day. It was late enough to start working on dinner, so she headed into the kitchen to scrounge through the fridge and pantry to see what her options were. In the end, Danielle decided on spaghetti and meatballs. She got to work, getting some water boiling for the noodles and chopping up fresh onion and garlic to put in the sauce. Once the meatballs were cooking in the oven and everything was going, she retrieved her phone and dialed a familiar number, eager to hear a friendly voice after being by herself all day.

Tom picked up on the third ring. "Dani-lani-ding-dong? That you?" he asked upon answering.

"The one and only," she confirmed, smiling at the sound of his voice.

"I'm a little surprised you're calling me. Aren't you and Jasper supposed to be locked away in the bedroom going at it like a couple of rabbits?" he asked bluntly.

Danielle laughed and rolled her eyes. "We _were,_ actually," she said, which had Tom making a noise of disgust. "But Jasper had to go to the mainland for some supplies, so now I'm in search of other forms of entertainment while he's gone," she explained further.

"Can't decide if I'm honored or grossed out that I'm the first person you thought of post sex-capades," he quipped dryly.

Danielle just laughed. "How's everything going?" she asked as she stirred the tomato sauce to make sure nothing got burned on the bottom of the pan.

"Fine," Tom answered, his tone friendly and casual again. "Nothing much to report on my end. Just hanging out and getting ready for school to start. How about you?" he asked. "How's the honeymoon going?"

She told him about their time on Isle Esme so far, from how nice to the house was to the pretty beach right on their doorstep to her and Jasper's snorkeling adventure the day before. "This place is so great, Pickles. I know Forks is our home, but I kinda just wish we could stay here forever," she said wistfully.

And it was the _truth_. She felt so comfortable there, and being on Isle Esme had brought out a new side to Jasper, one that was more relaxed and more carefree than she had ever seen back in Forks. She loved how easy and uncomplicated life was on Isle Esme, and she would definitely be sad to leave this place and the little slice of heaven that they had found there when the time finally came for them to leave.

"Your mom would have a fit if you and Jasper decided to uproot and leave her in Forks by herself," Tom pointed out.

"She wouldn't be alone. She'd still have Charlie," Danielle reminded.

"She'd still freak," Tom insisted.

Danielle sighed and nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. She'll have to get used to us being away, though," she continued as she opened the oven to check on the meatballs. "Jazz and I are talking about doing some traveling once we leave here."

"Yeah?" Tom asked with interest.

"Mhmm," Danielle confirmed, thinking back to a conversation she'd had with Jasper the previous month. "Jasper's sick of all the people in Forks gossiping about us, which I'm totally with him on that one. We thought it'd be good to just go and explore and get away from it all for a while."

"Where would you go?" Tom asked.

"We haven't decided yet," she answered. "I could probably convince him to visit Houston, though."

"Well, I'm certainly not opposed to _that_ ," Tom said, perking up considerably. "You wouldn't even have to worry about a hotel if you came. You know my parents would put you guys up. My mom _loves_ you, and she's been dying to meet Jasper," he said.

Danielle smiled, though she couldn't really see how them staying with Tom's family would work out. Mrs. Fitzpatrick would probably want to play tour guide to Jasper, which would be problematic if it was sunny outside. In the end, it would probably be better if they found other accommodations, just in case.

"We'll see. I don't want to inconvenience anyone," she answered vaguely.

"Dude, you _know_ it wouldn't be an inconvenience," Tom huffed.

She still didn't think it was a good idea, but she could tell Tom wasn't going to give up on trying to convince her to stay with his family. "We'll see, okay?" she said with finality. And before he could say anything more on the matter, she decided to steer the subject elsewhere. "Anyway, maybe when we come, we can convince _Alice_ to come with us," she said with a mischievous smile. "Wouldn't _that_ be something?"

There was a long pause on Tom's end. _Too_ long of a pause. "I'm not sure she'd wanna do that."

Danielle frowned. "Why _wouldn't_ she?" When Tom didn't answer, she frowned deeper. "Did something happen between you guys?"

"Dani…I don't really wanna get into that right now," Tom said evasively. "You're on your _honeymoon._ I don't want you worrying about me, okay?"

Now she was _really_ concerned. "Okay, you can't say something like that and expect me _not_ to ask questions," she said matter-of-factly. "Tell me what's going on, Tom," she then demanded. "What happened after we left?"

Tom heaved on his end, but he seemed to understand that she wasn't going to let the subject go. After a moment, he finally came out with it. "Alice volunteered to take me to the airport when it was time for me to fly out," he began. "When we got there and it was time to say goodbye, I kinda realized just how much I liked her. It also hit me that I had no idea when I was gonna see her again, so I figured…why not go for it?" He sucked in a breath. "I told her how I felt and then I…tried to kiss her."

Danielle's heart leapt into her throat. "And?" she asked, eager for information.

"And she _totally_ freaked, Dani," Tom said with a defeated sigh. "You would think I'd tried to _strangle_ her or something. She pushed me away – _really_ hard, by the way – and said that we would be better off as friends and that we should leave it at that. Then she just… _left_. Couldn't get away from me fast enough." He sighed heavily again. "I've sent her texts and I've tried calling. I wanted to apologize for overstepping my boundaries, you know? But she's not responding. She cut me off, Dani."

Danielle cursed under her breath and shook her head. She was surprised, but _not_ at the same time. She knew that Alice liked Tom, because the vampire had outright admitted it to her. But she _also_ knew that Alice was very afraid to become involved with him in any sort of romantic way because of all the circumstances working against them. After everything her sister-in-law had admitted during her bachelorette party, and considering how lovey-dovey the two had seemed at the wedding, Danielle had hoped that Alice had managed to move past her fears and insecurities enough to give Tom a chance. Unfortunately, it looked as though she had been wrong. Alice was still scared, and now she had – literally – pushed Tom away because of it.

"I'm sorry, Tom," Danielle said gently.

Tom huffed. "Yeah, me too."

Danielle gnawed on the inside of her cheek. "I know you're disappointed and I know you're hurting…but I _do_ still think there's hope," she said optimistically.

"How so?" Tom asked with no small amount of doubt.

"Because I _know_ Alice, and I happen to know that she _does_ like you. She's just…afraid," Danielle explained.

"Afraid of _what_?" Tom countered. "I'd never hurt her."

"I know you wouldn't," Danielle said quickly. How could she explain this without revealing anything that would make him suspicious of her new family? "This is just…new territory for Alice. It's kinda like what happened with me and Jasper," she explained. "He pushed me away in the beginning because he was scared, too. But once he figured some things out and let his walls come down, everything worked out. I think that can happen with you and Alice," she said reassuringly. "Just give her some time and some space to figure stuff out."

Tom heaved heavily in her ear. "I dunno, Dani. She sounded like she'd made her mind up. I don't think we're gonna get the fairytale ending like you and Jasper."

Danielle started to tell him that her and Jasper's relationship was _far_ from being fairytale material, but bit her tongue. Instead, she remembered something she had said to Alice when the vampire had confessed to not seeing Tom in her future and decided to tell Tom the same thing she had told Alice.

"Maybe it's just not the right time right now," she said. "But it _could_ be the right time _later_. So don't give up hope yet, Pickles."

Tom heaved again. "Hard to hang on to hope when she won't even talk to me."

Danielle frowned. "Do you want me to say something to her?"

" _No_ ," Tom countered swiftly. "Everything feels weird enough already. If you get involved, that'll just make it _weirder_. The last thing I wanna do is _guilt_ her into talking to me again."

"Okay, I won't say anything," Danielle agreed, albeit reluctantly so.

"Thank you," Tom said gratefully. "Now can we talk about something else?"

She ended up talking to Tom all through her dinner, chatting about anything _but_ Alice Cullen. When they finally got off the phone, she turned on some music and started cleaning up the kitchen. All she could think about, however, was the situation between Alice and Tom.

It was disappointing, to be perfectly honest. The two had undeniable chemistry and obviously were crazy about one another, but it just didn't look like a relationship was in the cards. Not for _Alice_ , anyway. As sad as Danielle felt for Tom for being rejected, she felt just as sad for her sister-in-law for denying herself a chance to be happy with someone who really cared for her. Frowning to herself, Danielle glanced at her phone, her fingers itching to dial Alice's number and ask the dozens of question rolling through her mind now.

In the end, she remembered her promise to Tom and resisted the urge. If Alice wanted to talk to her about what had happened with Tom when they were back in Fork, then Danielle would be happy to listen. But for now, Danielle was going to keep her nose _out_ of their business.

* * *

The days passed quicker than she might have thought on Isle Esme.

Almost every morning she woke up exactly as she had the very first day – to a tropical flower on the pillow and a hot breakfast made especially for her by Jasper. They would eat on the patio, then spend the rest of the day either hanging out on the beach, taking the boat out, or hiking around the island. In the evenings, they would turn on some music while cooking dinner, which Jasper always insisted on helping her with. Then they would play board games or watch movies or go out onto the beach to look up at the stars until it was time for bed. Every night they made love, and every night it just got better and better and _better_. They were in their own little world on Isle Esme, and that world was truly and utterly _perfect_.

As their second week of their honeymoon kicked off, they started venturing onto the mainland for a change of scenery. The first night they went to Rio, Jasper treated her to a swanky dinner that allowed them to dress up a little and cost _way_ more than she wanted to admit to. The second night they went, they made it their mission to hit a bunch of shops and pick out presents to take back to the family, making sure everyone got something unique and different.

The third night, however, they just wanted to explore the city and keep things casual. They made it to the mainland just after sunset and had a cab take them to a lively looking area where they could mingle with the locals. Walking the streets of Rio de Janeiro arm in arm, Danielle could only smile and let her eyes dart around as she took everything in. The streets were filled with people, laughing with their friends as they passed by, talking loudly as they ate on restaurant patios and dancing next to street musicians. The whole city just seemed so _alive_ , and the energy was infectious.

She looked up at Jasper as they paused at an intersection to wait for a line of cars to pass by. He looked down at her when he noticed her looking at him and smiled, which made her heart flutter in her chest. Would there ever come a time where his smile _didn't_ turn her into a pile of goo?

She sincerely hoped not.

"Where do you want to eat?" Jasper asked once they crossed the street, directing her around a couple that was having a little too much fun dancing and nearly knocked right into them.

Danielle glanced around, until she spotted a cute, two story café that had tables out on a balcony overlooking the street. "How about there?" she suggested, pointing to the café.

Jasper nodded, then led her into the café.

The hostess seated them on the balcony, and with Jasper's help, Danielle ordered some sort of fried chicken dish that looked completely unhealthy but smelled absolutely heavenly. With the local drinking age being eighteen, she decided to be brave and also ordered herself a fruity, tropical cocktail that tasted more like a smoothie than an alcoholic drink. It was cold and delicious, and it was the perfect drink to cool her down on this hot, humid night.

"How is it?" Jasper asked, motioning to her food and drink.

"Delicious," Danielle said appreciatively. She took a long sip of her drink through her straw. "I'm not big on alcohol, but I _like_ this drink," she said with a nod.

Jasper smirked. "I'm surprised you ordered a drink in the first place," he admitted.

Danielle smiled and shrugged. "Hey – when in Brazil, do as the Brazilians do, am I right?" she said.

"Is that how the saying goes?" Jasper asked with an amused twinkle in his eye.

Danielle waved a hand. "Something like that."

Their server came back to check on them in the next moment. Jasper chatted briefly with her in Portuguese, presumably assuring her that they weren't in need of anything else at the moment, then the server smiled and wandered off to check on another table. Danielle looked at Jasper once the server was gone and slowly smirked.

"By the way…have I mentioned how impressed I am that you can speak Portuguese?" she asked, leaning forward a bit.

"I'm not fluent," Jasper said modestly. "I just know enough to get by."

"You still know more than _I_ do," she said matter-of-factly. "And it's pretty _sexy_ to hear you speaking in a foreign language," she added with a playful smile.

Jasper smirked and leaned closer, his hand closing around hers. "So I should speak in Portuguese more often then?"

Danielle thought about it, then turned her hand under his to lace her fingers with his own. "Actually, I prefer your southern drawl," she admitted, which made him smile. "I'd take that drawl over Portuguese every day of the week."

"Well, then, Mrs. Hale," he said, purposefully making his drawl thicker. "If it's the drawl you want, then a drawl you shall get," he said, even tipping an imaginary cowboy hat to her.

Danielle giggled, amused by his antics. "You're kind of a dork sometimes, you _do_ know that, right?" she asked fondly.

Jasper chuckled. "And yet you love me anyway."

Danielle squeezed his hand affectionately. "Yes, I do," she said with a loving smile.

Jasper's answer was to smile a little wider, then lift her hand to his mouth to kiss her knuckles.

She took another bite of food, then looked to the street when she heard music kick up. A small band had started playing in a little square just down the way, and the lively music was already drawing quite a crowd. People started dancing without care, smiling and laughing as they moved to the music – some of them looked like they actually knew a thing or two about what they were doing, while others were using the music as an excuse to just grind up on their chosen partner.

Danielle watched the people dance a little longer, then looked at Jasper. He looked relaxed as he too listened to the music from the band, one hand resting on the table while his other hand still held hers. Suddenly Danielle realized that their time in Brazil would be over soon, which left her with a distinctly sad feeling in her chest. Sure, she missed their family and their friends, but it had been such wonderful trip, and she just wasn't ready for it to end.

Jasper felt her sadness, because he looked at her and frowned. "Something wrong?"

Danielle sighed. "This place is just so great. And being here with you has been _amazing,_ " she said. "I'm not ready for this to end. I'm not ready to go back to real life yet."

Jasper nodded understandingly. "Me neither. This trip has been everything I hoped it would be and more. I will certainly be sad to leave." He squeezed her hand and gave her a smile. "But the fun does not have to end here. There are plenty more places we can visit together," he reminded.

"Where would we go?" Danielle asked.

"Anywhere you want," Jasper replied with a shrug.

"Ireland?" she suggested.

Jasper smiled. "Sure."

Danielle grinned with excitement now. "How about New Zealand?"

Jasper nodded. "It's far, but I hear it is breathtaking and it's a place I have never gone to before. I would be happy to go and explore it with you," he agreed.

"What about Houston?" she suggested, which had Jasper frowning a bit. Danielle instantly knew why. "I know you don't have the best history there," she said gently. "But it was home to _both_ of us at different times. If you're up for it, I'd like to go back there with you."

Jasper took a second to think about it. "The south was not particularly kind to me," he started slowly. "But things have changed quite a bit since then." He looked at her, then nodded. "I would not mind going. Perhaps by going and making _good_ memories with you there, the bad memories will finally leave me."

Danielle gave a small smile and raised his hand to her lips so that she could kiss his palm. When her fingers trailed the length of his forearm, she felt the rough texture of just one of his many scars from his days of fighting under Maria. She smoothed her thumb over the scar, as if trying to smooth it away.

"I'll do whatever I can to make you forget about those days, Jasper," she promised, hoping there would come a time where his past _didn't_ haunt him anymore. "I'll do everything I can to make you happy."

As Jasper smiled at her, she felt a strong rush of love wash over her. "Trust me, darlin'. You're already doing a _fine_ job of that," he assured her.

Danielle just smiled at him in response and kissed his palm again.

After she finished her dinner, they paid their tab and left the café. Jasper draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close, then they started off down the street.

"Where to next?" he asked.

Danielle looked at the band performing down the way and the many people dancing around, before smiling up at him. "Let's go _dancing_ ," Danielle suggested.

"Over there?" he asked, nodding toward the street band.

Danielle shook her head. "I wanna go to a club. Not like a _techno_ club, but a _salsa_ club. I think it'd be fun," she said, nodding vigorously. "Can we go?"

Jasper seemed a little doubtful, but when she continued to give him a hopeful look, he finally gave in. "Alright," he agreed.

They started asking some of the locals if they knew of any good dance clubs to go to, until they were directed toward a club a few blocks over. When they arrived outside the building about a short walk later, they could already hear the beat of loud Latin music pumping inside. They showed the bouncer their ID's and then went inside, where they found the place already packed with people despite it not even being that late into the night yet. It was dark and crowded and the band was in full swing – it was exactly what Danielle had been hoping for.

They made their way to the edge of the dancefloor, and though Danielle had no idea what the band was singing about, she enjoyed the beat of the song nonetheless. Danielle watched everyone dance, her foot unconsciously tapping to the music and a wide smile stretched across her face. When she looked up at Jasper, however, her smile soon turned to a frown. Jasper was looking a little tense as he eyed the many people around them, his lips turned downward and his brows furrowed deeply.

It dawned on her then that this maybe hadn't been the best place to bring him. There were a lot of people in the club, and the air was thick with sweat and exhilaration as they danced to the upbeat tempo. Her excitement was dashed instantly, replaced by guilt for dragging him to a place that would surely put his control to the test. It didn't even matter that he had gone on another hunt the day before – it still had to be difficult for him.

Danielle moved closer and placed a gentle hand on his back. "Are you okay?" she asked over the loud music. "Do you want to leave?"

Jasper looked at her and gave her an easy smile. He _seemed_ in control, but the slight tension in his shoulders still made her worry. "I'm fine," he said.

"Are you sure?" Danielle asked skeptically. "You look… _tense_."

Jasper smirked, then let his eyes roam the people around them again. "Not for the reason you might be thinking," he admitted, before nodding pointedly at something behind her.

Danielle turned just in time to see a few guys who looked to be in their mid-twenties eyeing her up and down. Upon realizing they had her attention, they started to smile charmingly. Upon seeing the look _Jasper_ gave them, however, they quickly looked elsewhere.

Danielle looked to her husband again, realization dawning. It wasn't being around humans that was bothering him – it was other men _looking_ at her that was bothering him. She smiled and pressed even closer, winding her arms around his neck. When he looked at her again, she gave him a kiss that would have immediately let anyone watching know that _he_ was the one she was with, and _he_ was the only one she wanted. When she pulled away, she couldn't tell if his eyes were darker because of desire, or if it was just because of the dim lighting in the club.

"Don't worry about them. They're not important," she said. "Now, are we gonna go tear up that dance floor or what?"

Jasper watched the way everyone else danced, then gave her a skeptical look. "I don't know that dance."

Danielle laughed. "Neither do I," she said, which pulled a smirk from him. "C'mon, hubby," she said. "Let's go make complete asses of ourselves."

Jasper conceded, and after she grabbed his hand, he allowed her to pull him into the thick of the dancing crowd.

There was no use denying it – she and Jasper were rather _awful_ compared to the people around them. Where everyone else seemed comfortable and familiar with the style of dance, she and Jasper looked stiff and uncoordinated in comparison. Jasper, who was most at ease with an old fashioned waltz, didn't seem to know how to let loose enough to go with the flow of the movements, while Danielle did her best to follow his lead and mimic the way the other women around her loved, which she failed _miserably_ at.

They were so bad, she couldn't help but laugh, which soon had Jasper laughing as well. He finally gave up trying to follow those around him and started spinning her around, almost as if they were swing dancing. He twirled her in circles and lifted her into the air, quickly making her forget to feel self-conscious about her lack of dance skills. Danielle laughed delightedly as they danced, and she didn't even care that they were getting more than a few odd looks. They were having _fun_ , and the grin on Jasper's face was the only thing that really mattered anyway.

They stayed out there on the dancefloor for a few more songs, before Danielle finally needed a water break. Jasper took her by the hand and led her to the bar, where he quickly ordered her a cup of water. Danielle drank it greedily, then wiped at some sweat that had formed on her brow and fanned herself.

"You're looking quite flushed there, darlin'," Jasper commented.

"It's a little hot in here, in case you hadn't noticed," she said with a quirk of her brow.

Jasper smirked and gave her a blatant once over. "I noticed," he said, though the way he was looking her made her think he _wasn't_ referring to the hotness of the room. He pushed away a lock of hair that had come loose from the knot she had thrown her curls into before leaving Isle Esme, then leaned closer. Shivers shot down her spine as he pressed a lingering kiss to the spot just below her ear. "You look _ravishing_ tonight, darlin'," he asked in her ear.

Danielle smiled up at him, one of her hands finding its way to his chest. "You're looking rather ravishing yourself, Major Whitlock."

There was an all too familiar gleam starting to appear in his eyes when he pulled back to meet her gaze. It was a look she was starting to know _very_ well. "Have I ever told you just how _thoroughly_ I enjoy you calling me that?" he asked, pulling her closer, his hand sliding a little lower on her back.

Heat that had _nothing_ to do with the crowded club started to settle in her belly. "Actually, I don't think you have. But I'm more than happy to hear _all_ about it… _Major Whitlock_ ," she said with a mischievous gleam in her eye.

Jasper's answer was to pull her in for a slow, languid kiss, his long arms winding around her and holding her close. They separated when the band finished their song and the crowd began to cheer loudly, interrupting the moment. The lead singer spoke to the crowd for a moment, then a new song started up.

The beat of this particular song was different, slower and more _sensual_. She looked to the dancefloor and watched as couples started moving together, this time pressing close to each other and dancing in a way that would have made nuns blush. Suddenly she felt like she was in _Dirty Dancing_ , watching all the rebellious, horny teenagers grind on each other in the back room where the stuffy, rich people couldn't judge them.

She grinned, then looked up at Jasper. As much as she loved kissing him, she wanted to get him back on the dancefloor. "Dance with me?" she asked.

Jasper looked like he would rather keep kissing her, but a hopeful look from her had him nodding in agreement. She laced her fingers with his and led him back to the dancefloor, walking backwards so she could keep her gaze locked with his. Once they were there, Jasper pulled her close, one long arm wrapping around her waist. Danielle slid her arms around his neck, and they began to move to the music.

Unlike earlier, she felt uninhibited and uncaring of what people might think of the way she danced, and Jasper seemed too intent on _her_ to worry about anything else. He followed her movements as she swayed with him, their hips grinding together as the music carried them whichever way it wanted.

Danielle sighed and closed her eyes, finding herself more focused on Jasper than on the music now. He was pressed so tightly to her, she could feel every inch of him. One arm was still around her waist, keeping her close, but his other hand had begun to wander, moving from her hip to her ribs, and then up to her neck. She gasped when he suddenly dipped her backwards, taking advantage of the moment to kiss her throat before slowly lifting her up again, holding her even closer than before.

The song kept going, continuing to weave its sensual magic. Jasper looked down at her with hooded eyes, his hands sliding lower onto her hips. He ducked his head to press his lips to her shoulder first, then her neck. Danielle leaned her head back to give him better access, a quiet moan escaping her when she felt his tongue taste her skin. He slid a leg between hers, his head raising so that he looked into her eyes again. Danielle had to kiss him, her tongue exploring his mouth hungrily. Jasper's lips eagerly responded to hers, a groan rumbling in his chest. He locked a hand under her thigh and pulled her leg up to his hip so they were pressed together more intimately, his fingers sliding along bare skin as it found its way under the skirt of her dress.

He pulled his lips from hers abruptly, and then she was hit so strongly with a feeling of lust that it nearly made her knees buckle.

"We need to go," Jasper said, his voice gravelly.

"Now?" Danielle asked, her thoughts a little incoherent from the feelings Jasper had ignited within her.

" _Now_ ," he ground out. "Or else I'm going to do something inappropriate in a _very_ public place, which I do not think you will appreciate."

Danielle nodded, and with that he pulled her off the dancefloor. They stepped out of the crowded club and back out into the humid, night air of Rio de Janeiro. Jasper hailed the first cab he saw and, once they were in the backseat, gave hasty instructions to take them to the docks.

He kept his hands to himself in front of the stranger driving them, but she could feel the anticipation rolling off of him and the looks he kept giving her were enough to make her feel as heated as if he _was_ touching her. When they reached the docks, he paid the cab driver far more than was needed, then grabbed her hand and led her to the boat. He helped her aboard, his hands lingering on her waist, then made quick work of getting them out onto the water.

Danielle fully expected that they wouldn't stop until they reached Isle Esme, but Jasper seemed to have other plans. About halfway there, when he seemed satisfied that they had gotten far enough away from the rest of civilization, he slowed the boat and cut the engine. She started to ask what he was doing, but the words died on her lips when he turned and slowly came toward her, looking like a jungle cat ready to pounce.

When he reached her, he ran gentle fingers down her cheek before lifting her chin, so that her face was titled up toward him. "Do you have any idea what you _do_ to me?" he asked, his voice gravelly. "The way you _look_ at me, the way you _touch_ me, the way you _kiss_ me." Jasper's chest heaved, as if he was using all his willpower not to claim her and it was exhausting him. "I feel like I might _die_ if I can't get my hands on you."

Danielle sucked in a steadying breath and leaned into his touch, certain the raw, undiluted lust in his eyes was mirrored in her own. "Then why aren't you putting your hands on me _now_?" she asked breathlessly.

Jasper swiftly leaned down to kiss her. He pulled her up from her seat, then locked his hands enough her rear to lift her up into the air, prompting her to wrap her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He groaned at the contact, one hand sliding underneath her skirt to skim the length of her thigh.

"I need you, darlin'," he said huskily, his lips trailing down to her neck with urgency. " _God_ , I need you."

Danielle sighed with satisfaction at the feeling of his lips on her, then tugged on his hair until he lifted his head to look at her. Jasper's desire was slamming into her like a wrecking ball, and she was just as desperate to be with _him_ as he was to be with _her_. She didn't want to wait until they were back home. She wanted him _now_.

"I'm yours, Jazz," she said, before kissing him fiercely, so that he had no doubt in his mind about what she wanted.

He received the message loud and clear, and right there, underneath a sky full of bright, twinkling stars, their passion and desire for each other consumed them once more.

* * *

Soon, _too_ soon, the day that Danielle had been dreading was upon them. She woke to the familiar sounds of morning birds and ocean waves, and for once she was not alone in bed. Jasper lay beside her, his head propped up on one hand while the other slid down the length of her bare back, then back up again.

"Good morning," he greeted.

She started to say it back, but then she remembered what day it was. It was the day they were scheduled to leave Isle Esme and return to Forks. She couldn't stop herself from frowning sadly at the thought of leaving their little haven behind.

"We're going home today," she said with a pout.

Jasper nodded slowly, looking a little disappointed himself. "We are."

"I don't wanna leave," Danielle protested.

"Neither do I," Jasper sympathized. "But we can come back whenever you want," he said with a nod. "Carlisle and Esme wouldn't mind."

Danielle nodded, then shifted closer so that she could wrap an arm around his waist and stretch up to kiss his lips. Jasper immediately returned her kiss, humming contentedly against her lips. "Thank you for bringing me here. Thank you for such an amazing time," she said, nuzzling her nose against his. "Thank you for _everything_."

"It should be _me_ thanking _you_ ," Jasper countered.

"What for?"

"For marrying me. For loving me. For making all of this possible," he said, brushing a red curl back away from her face. "I know you're sad to leave, darlin', but this is only just the beginning. We still have many, _many_ years ahead of us, and I intend to make sure we spend all of those years as happy as we have been here."

Danielle smiled, heart warming at his words. "As long as we're together, I'll _always_ be happy."

Jasper gave her a gentle, lopsided smile. "As will I, darlin'," he said. He rolled her onto her back then and settled on top of her, his eyes flickering over her face, as if trying to commit the moment to memory. "I love you, Danielle."

"I love you, too."

Then his lips were on hers, and she soon forgot to feel sad about the impending departure.

After they finally managed to drag themselves out of bed, the rest of the day passed quickly. They enjoyed one last breakfast on the patio together and one last trip to the beach, but after that it was time to start getting ready to leave. They straightened up the house and washed their dirty clothes so that they wouldn't have to do it when they got home, then made a quick call to the airport to check that everything was alright with their flight. By the time the house was clean and their suitcases were packed the sun was starting to go down, which meant only one thing.

It was, unfortunately, time to leave.

They turned off all the lights and made sure all the doors and windows were closed, then gathered their things and made their way back to the boat. While Jasper loaded their things into the boat, Danielle stood on the dock and took one last look at the island, sighing quietly to herself.

She sure was going to _miss_ this place.

When Jasper reappeared by her side, she looked up at him. "Time to go."

Danielle nodded, then placed her hand in his and let him help her down into the boat. Jasper untied the boat from the dock and lifted the anchor, then started the rumbling engine. As they started back toward the mainland, the sky above them growing darker with the swift approach of dusk, Danielle stood next to Jasper, her arms wrapped around his waist for balance and her head resting on his shoulder. She just watched in silence as Isle Esme shrunk smaller and smaller into the distance, until it finally disappeared from sight altogether.

* * *

 **Hope it was worth the wait!**

 **Things to look forward to in the next chapter – Jasper has a surprise for Danielle, and Danielle calls a family meeting!**


End file.
